STRONGEST GROWTH IN PREMIUM AND USED

Roy Larsen is Nordic director at Power International for the telecom category, which consists of mobile phones, wearables, photography and telecom accessories. During the PowerUp CE training fair at The Qube at the end of April, telecom is grouped together with audio, vision and IT. Larsen says this is an important opportunity for sales staff to learn about both existing and new products.

– I do not want to highlight any particular product, but there are many exciting new products here, Larsen tells the trade magazine Elektronikkbransjen.

Growth in the premium segment

According to Larsen, 2026 has so far not seen any single launch that has changed the market,

– We have had very good growth, especially in the premium segment. In particular Apple’s 17 series, which has had better sales than last year’s 16 series, says the category director.

Used phones

Used phones currently account for somewhere between 2 and 4 per cent of Power’s total mobile sales in the Nordic region, measured by value. The company is investing in reuse through a trade-in programme in which the customer receives a deposit value for the phone they hand in. The value can be calculated in advance via a dedicated trade-in calculator on the website.

– In addition, we buy batches of used phones that are resold with a full warranty. These look like and are more or less like new phones, says Larsen.

The requirements include, among other things, a minimum 80 per cent battery capacity, and each product undergoes an additional manual quality check before being put up for sale.

Environment and price are driving factors

Refurbished products are important to Power, both from an environmental perspective and because they give customers more affordable alternatives.

Larsen particularly highlights that used iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 models are now being offered at attractive prices. He believes this is especially relevant after Apple removed its cheapest models from the range.

– We expect continued growth in sales and revenue for these products, says Larsen.

Young people will drive future growth

– Which customer groups are most receptive to buying used mobile phones?

– We do not really have any good figures on that, but we do see that there are many young people, says Larsen.

He is not surprised that the share of refurbished products is still low, but admits that he had not expected the development to take so long. At the same time, he expects growth going forward, both in the number of used units sold and in their share of total sales.

PowerUp CE does not bring together all suppliers, but Larsen believes the most important ones are represented.

– We do not have room for everyone, and must prioritise those it is most important for our salespeople to receive training with.