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- The build-up has stopped: sales of large household appliances have decreased by 10-25%
The build-up has stopped: sales of large household appliances have decreased by 10-25%
Russians have become less likely to buy large household appliances: in the first half of 2026, sales of such devices decreased by 10-25% compared to the same period in 2025, experts and sellers of such electrical appliances told Izvestia. The most noticeable drop — up to 30% — was recorded in the segment of embedded appliances: dishwashers, cooktops and other devices. Market participants attribute this to the cooling of the housing market: Russians have become less likely to buy apartments and carry out repairs, which usually involve the purchase of new equipment. Amid rising costs, consumers have also become more likely to choose online purchases and repair existing appliances instead of replacing them, they add.
How much has the demand for large household appliances decreased
In the first half of 2026, sales of large household appliances (CBT) decreased significantly in the Russian Federation. Its sellers and experts told Izvestia about this. Compared to the same period in 2025, they fell by 25-30% in traditional retail, said Larisa Senina, director of the KBT department of Marvel Distribution. Taking into account the marketplaces, the decline is somewhat smaller, she added. According to her, the decline is felt both in the market of self-driving equipment and built-in.
— Refrigerators and freezers show a decline in money due to a decrease in consumption of the premium segment. In the category of washing machines, buyers have abandoned expensive tumble dryers. Demand is being held back by narrow freestanding washing machines from Haier and Beko," she says.
A significant decrease in sales in physical terms is observed in the segment of dishwashers, Larisa Senina noted. According to her, one of the reasons is the lack of local assembly of such devices in Russia. At the same time, certain categories remain in demand. In particular, compact cooktops with two or three burners are popular, which are actively purchased by owners of studios and rented housing.
In the "Connection.ON" confirmed that sales of large household appliances are declining. The category of embedded devices (panels, ovens) is stagnating the most, as it is tied to the purchase of kitchens, they noted. This is facilitated, first of all, by the maintenance of a high Central Bank rate and the inability to offer loans to customers on comfortable terms, as well as an increase in supplier prices.
The upper price categories are sagging the most, says Anastasia Bezrukova, a leading expert at the Center for Strategic Support of Domestic Technologies. First of all, these are embedded appliances, which directly depend on repairs and housing transactions, as well as dishwashers and dryers, she noted.
— Loans and installments are expensive now, high deposit rates have made saving more profitable than buying. Previously, up to 30% of large equipment was purchased on credit. The compression of this channel directly eliminated some of the demand. The second factor is the cooling of the housing market, and the third is the high sales base in 2023 and 2024, when the equipment was used for future use. The VAT increase has further pushed up prices," Anastasia Bezrukova said.
Mobile Research Group analyst Eldar Murtazin also notes a 10-25% decrease in sales of large household appliances, depending on the category. According to him, the most noticeable drop — about 30% — was in the embedded equipment segment. The expert attributes this dynamic to the cooling of the real estate market: the fewer people buy apartments, the lower the demand for equipment for new housing. In addition, Russians have become less likely to carry out repairs, for which new household appliances are usually purchased. An additional factor was the rise in the cost of construction work and materials.
How the situation in the housing market affects sales of KBT
The decline in CBT sales is not felt by all market participants — representatives of some electronic platforms record the opposite trend.
— The turnover of large household appliances at Wildberries increased by 111% in January-June 2026 compared to the same period in 2025. Sales of dryers (+254%) and refrigerators (+153%) grew the fastest. By the end of the year, we forecast a turnover growth of 144%," RWB told Izvestia.
In the second quarter of 2026, compared to the same period in 2025, air purifiers (plus 13%), vacuum cleaners (8%), dishwashers (2%) and fans (2%) showed the most noticeable growth in the CBT category, Avito told Izvestia. At the same time, sales of microwave ovens decreased by 6%, and stoves and ovens — by 7%, they noted. In the retail market, sales of air purifiers increased by 11% year—on—year, fans - by 5%, vacuum cleaners - by 4%.
Sales of certain types of goods, such as refrigerators, built-in household appliances, are affected by a decrease in sales of new apartments and a reduction in the number of repairs, according to Svyaz.ON.
— There are several reasons. Firstly, Russians prefer to repair old equipment instead of buying new ones, and service costs are noticeably rising. Secondly, loans and installments have become much less affordable, and previously up to a third of CBT was sold on credit or installments. Thirdly, the downturn in the housing market after changes in the conditions for issuing preferential mortgages deprived retailers of turnkey orders," Larisa Senina listed.
In the second half of the year, a gradual recovery in unit sales is expected against the background of pent-up demand and cheaper loans, Anastasia Bezrukova predicts.
— The key rate has already been reduced to 14.25%, but the recovery of money turnover will occur gradually. Buyers still focus mainly on the economy segment and are actively looking for discounts," she says.
In her opinion, a local increase in demand is possible in late summer and autumn. This may happen against the background of the introduction of a technological fee for electronics before the end of the year: some consumers will probably try to purchase equipment in advance, before a possible price increase.
"According to our expectations, there will be no significant deterioration in the situation in the second half of the year," M.Video believes. — While maintaining the macroeconomic environment, the market will remain stable, and the key drivers will be the further development of online channels, omnichannel services, retailers' price offers and continued demand for household appliance upgrades.
The baseline scenario for offline retail predicts that sales will decrease by about 15-20% by the end of the year compared to 2025. Thus, the drop may be less significant than in the first half of the year.
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