An 11.9 percent decrease marked the share of electronic orders placed from abroad in Russia for 2024, a detail noted by a major news agency. Electronics continued to be the most sought-after foreign products, accounting for about 39.21 percent of all orders.
Smartphones led the way in cross-border purchases, making up 29.8 percent of total orders. Headphones came in second with 13.4 percent, followed by monitors at 7.9 percent and laptops at 7 percent. The report also indicated that demand for game consoles and smartwatches has cooled in recent periods.
In the electronics segment, the average annual bill stood around 71 thousand rubles, reflecting a decline of 7.43 percent from 2023. December, in particular, marked a low, with the average slipping to about 65.3 thousand rubles.
September emerged as the month with the strongest gadget activity, comprising 14.4 percent of sales, while April recorded the slowest pace at 5.2 percent. Most tools and equipment were purchased from China, which accounted for 55.69 percent of purchases, up 11.24 percentage points from the prior year. The United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong followed in the order of supplier importance.
The iPhone 15 topped the list of devices, with Apple AirPods 4 ranking among the favored accessories, and the Sony PlayStation 5 Pro taking the lead among game consoles.
Clothes and shoes, perfume, home appliances, and jewelry comprised the top five categories of goods ordered from abroad, underscoring a broad appetite for lifestyle items in cross-border shopping.
It was noted that the United States has ceded leadership to China in the ranking of countries from which Russians order clothing. Observers also noted a notable rise in overall spending on imported goods in the period covered.