This was stated by the general manager of Dominio Consultores, Fernando Grados, after mentioning that such variation generated a contraction of 25.7% to 3.9 million units in the first semester, in a situation that is not exclusive to Peru.
“It is the product of the pandemic and the global economic situation, pre-recession, a very sharp drop in demand for consumer products is being generated mainly and smartphones do not escape it,” he told Management.
For its part, the increased cost of equipment due to a shortage of processors and the logistics crisis have reduced availability. Even so, he noted, brands and retailers would still have stock from the first quarter, which is why they will come out more aggressive.
“They are beginning to liquidate stocks, lowering prices. The problem is that now all the devices compete with each other because they are wrong, mainly laptops, tablets and cell phones. There is over stock. The prices will be interesting, but the consumer is without money”, lamented the executive.
factors
Although he acknowledged that Peru’s non-classification for the Qatar World Cup has affected the exit of high inventories taken by the brands, he maintained that the problem originated before. And it is that, after an anomalous rebound in 2021, it was thought that 2022 would be the same.
“At the end of 2021 it was indicated that they should be more careful with stock management, but due to meeting the quotas they overstocked and now they are liquidating equipment, although basically models from last year,” he said.
To withstand this storm, Grados considered that the financial back of the brands will be key, especially in new players.
brands
In imports, almost all brands fall in the first half. However, the first four maintain their position, led by Samsung and Xiaomi, whose shares rise to 36.8% and 29.5%, respectively.
“When we are ‘on the verge’ of a recession, the consumer concentrates on what is known and stops exploring. The smallest brands -and those that are losing share- are all Chinese and have serious supply problems due to the 0 covid policy in China”, he referred.
In one exception, Apple -from the US- almost doubled its volumes and regained fifth place in units after a sharp drop due to the economic crisis of 2020 and 2021. Likewise, new brands such as Honor and Realme soared in imports, but a similar result in sales is still uncertain.
Smartphones in 88.4% of households
Smartphones have become a priority good and their presence in the Peruvian market was consolidated during the pandemic, to the point that 88.4% of households have a smartphone, according to the recent Residential Survey of Telecommunications Services ( Erestel), by Osiptel.
The penetration of smartphones among Peruvian families in 2016 was 66.3%.
The growth in smartphone ownership in the last five years was greater in the D/E segment, going from 32.8% in 2016 to 62% in 2021. Meanwhile, ownership in the A/B and C segments reached closing last year 90.6% and 80.2% of households, respectively.
Regarding the coexistence of mobile devices in the home, the study revealed that by 2021, 82.2% of Peruvian households have at least one mobile device to connect to the Internet, that is, four out of five Peruvian households have a smartphone, laptop or tablet.
Five years ago, only 69.2% of Peruvian households had one of these devices.
Trend to cheaper equipment
In the context of inflation and less willingness to spend on smartphones, the general manager of Dominio Consultores said that the sale of high-end equipment is the most affected. But such an effect would not generate major changes in the market, since this segment has always been and continues to be the smallest. Meanwhile, the mid-range is beginning to be impacted and, although it is the largest in volume, it is beginning to lose ground. “There is a tendency to go towards cheaper equipment. The low range is expanding compared to the mid range”, noted Fernando Grados.
The purchase targets well-known brands, but not their most expensive equipment.