Gamers were drawn to the periphery – Kommersant

In Russia, the demand for portable electronics is actively growing – keyboards, mice, headphones. In the first quarter, according to distributors and retailers, 1.4 million keyboards were sold, which is 19% more than in the same period in 2022. Top sellers included Razer, A4Tech and MSI, while Logitech, which dominated the market last year, fell from 21% to 8% in the first quarter. Electronics retailers are seeing a surge in demand for PC gaming accessories. According to experts, it is associated with the growth of the gaming audience.

In the first quarter, sales of keyboards in Russia amounted to more than 1.4 million units, which is 19% more than in the same period last year, Artur Makhlayuk, business analyst at F + tech-Marvel Group, told Kommersant. According to the company, the share of the former leader in the segment – Swiss Logitech – fell year-on-year from 21.9% to 8%, while the share of sold keyboards by Taiwanese A4Tech increased from 3.9% to 9.7%. The top sellers, excluding retailers’ own brands (PL), this year were Defender (10.6%), Oklick (10%) and A4Tech keyboards. At the same time, the total share of private labels increased year on year from 12.8% to 18.4%. The distributor also clarified that among gaming brands, demand for gaming keyboards from Razer increased by 12% and MSI by 8%, while sales of HyperX equipment sank by 61%.

Russian electronics sellers interviewed by Kommersant noted that in the first quarter, the demand for peripherals (keyboards, headphones, computer mice) generally increased. Thus, according to Citylink, the leading brand among mice and keyboards in the first quarter was A4Tech, whose sales in monetary terms increased by 44%, while those of the former leader Logitech decreased by 59%. “However, now the brand is restoring its position, as supply channels have been established,” the retailer’s press service noted. They also confirmed a decrease in demand for HyperX peripherals: compared to last year, their sales in the network fell by 72%.

According to Chek Index analysts, last year keyboards and mice became popular in Russia: their sales grew by 32% and 45%, while the average bill fell to 862 rubles. and 425 rubles. respectively (see Kommersant of November 30). In total, according to Marvel, at the end of 2022, approximately 4.8 million keyboards were sold on the Russian market, in 2021 – 4.7 million.

According to M.Video-Eldorado, sales of main accessories for PC gaming in the first quarter amounted to more than 2 million units, which is 30% more than a year earlier, and the average check for peripherals as a whole decreased by 12%. “The brand market itself is considered competitive, and the choice of manufacturers continues to expand, mainly in the basic and middle price segment,” says Emil Manucharov, product category manager of the Digital Equipment Accessories department of the group.

Avito said that among gaming peripherals this quarter, headphones are in great demand, sales of which increased by 46% year-on-year, and their average cost was 3.1 thousand rubles. Demand for gaming mice and keyboards on the site rose to 18% and 13%, respectively. According to the company, Razer and MSI products are in demand, but sales of HyperX peripherals also grew by 20-26%.

The segment of gaming peripherals is very dynamic, it is expanding every year with both new equipment and new customers, among whom there are many young people, notes the representative of the association of trading companies and manufacturers of electrical household and computer equipment RATEK (incorporates M.Video-Eldorado, ” Marvel, DNS, etc.) Anton Guskov, and “things like mice, keyboards and headphones are not very durable.”

Vadim Krasnikov