Retailer cuts Russia’s cell phone sales forecast for 2011 by 3%

MOSCOW, Aug 2 (PRIME) — Major Russian cell phone retail chain Svyaznoy has reduced its forecast on Russias total cell phone sales in 2011 by 3% to 171 billion rubles, Svyaznoys CEO Denis Lyudkovsky said Tuesday.

In terms of units, the sales forecast was also reduced by about 3% to 38 million cell phones in 2011, Lyudkovsky said.

In March, Lyudkovsky said the total cell phone sales in Russia were expected to increase 11.4% on the year to 176 billion rubles, or 10.2% on the year to 39 million units, in 2011.

Smartphones may account 45% of all cell phones sold in Russia in 2011, Lyudkovsky said, adding that smartphone sales more than doubled to 2.8 million units in JanuaryJune from 1.3 million units in JanuaryJune 2010.

Svyaznoy plans to increase its share on the cell phone retail market to 23% in monetary terms and to 25% in terms of units in 2011 from 22% and 23% in 2010, respectively, Lyudkovsky said.

(27.5204 rubles U.S. $1)

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