Dubai: The smartphone accessories market, which includes phone cases, chargers, screen protectors and headphones, is expected to grow exponentially with new Apple and Samsung devices entering the market.
“It is an interesting market and an extension of business for us. We are the inventor of high-end rugged protective cases. We see huge growth opportunities in the smartphone market and we have a lot to offer,” Peiro Marigo, Managing director of Pelican EMEA [Europe, Middle East and Africa], told Gulf News.
Pelican, which makes protective cases for firefighters, police, military and aerospace, has entered the Middle East consumer market for smartphone cases in a big way.
He said the accessories market is worth around $1.5 billion (Dh5.50 billion) in value globally and it is growing in double digits.
Apple is the “dominant brand” and controls around 70 per cent of the market share in the US and it is a complete different story in the rest of the world where “Android is controlling the market, especially by Samsung. We are not only focusing on Apple and Samsung, we are looking into Nokia and Sony devices,” he said.
Smartphone vendors like Samsung, LG and Sony are coming out with their own covers for their devices to boost profits as margins from handsets are getting squeezed.
Neelesh Bhatnagar, chief executive officer of Emax Electronics, said that all the retailers are taking the accessories segment very seriously as there is a margin. So the retailers display it prominently at its stores and are witnessing the results.
Because of the huge demand, “we are taking these accessories to fashion stores and the responses have been good,” he said.
He said women buy one phone and three to four covers to match their clothes. The awareness for accessories is growing in a big way.
In EMEA, Pelican’s business has grown close to 20 per cent in spite of the crisis and expects a similar growth year.
“Our core business segments are industrial and military and the region contributes more than 50 per cent to the group. Middle East is an integral part of our business and we continue to invest in the region. The consumer segment is embryonic in the region so we are focusing more on the region,” he said.
“We foresee a great deal of business opportunities in the consumer market. Our cases are crash proof and offers lifetime warranty,” he said.
“Branded covers witness only a small percentage of sales but much of the sales are happening through other brands. Branded covers are expensive and people prefer to buy other brands as they are more funky and fashionable,” Bhatnagar said.
