Global Consumer Tech and Durables Market Shows Resilience Amid Shifting Consumer Behavior in Early 2025
The global Consumer Tech and Durables market recorded a 4.6% revenue increase in the first half of 2025, reaching $403 billion, according to NielsenIQ. Despite broader economic uncertainties, the sector is projected for stable full-year growth of 2%, driven by strong IT sector performance, burgeoning online sales, and strategic consumer purchasing patterns. Regional disparities highlight China's significant growth fueled by government policies, while the expanding refurbished market underscores a fundamental shift in consumer value perception and sustainability priorities.
Market Performance Overview
The global Consumer Tech and Durables market registered a notable increase in revenue during the first half of 2025, reaching $403 billion. This represents a 4.6% advance compared to the same period in the previous year, as reported by NielsenIQ (NIQ). The consumer intelligence firm anticipates a stable trajectory for the remainder of the year, projecting an overall revenue growth of 2% for full-year 2025.
Key Sectoral Dynamics and Growth Drivers
Performance across various sub-sectors presented a mixed yet largely positive picture. The IT sector emerged as a primary growth engine, recording an 11% increase in revenue. This robust performance was largely attributed to ongoing replacement cycles and the impending end of support for Windows 10. Within the IT segment, laptop sales globally advanced by 13%, with gaming laptops specifically surging by 23%. High-refresh-rate monitors (240Hz+) experienced an exceptional 280% increase in sales, indicating strong demand in specialized computing segments.
Other sectors also contributed to the overall market expansion:
Telecom sector: 4% growth
Small Domestic Appliances: 5% growth
Major Domestic Appliances: 5% growth
Conversely, the Consumer Electronics sector experienced a slight decline of 0.8%.
Online sales continued their ascent, accounting for 37% of global Tech and Durables transactions in the first half of 2025, marking a 9% increase year-over-year. This underscores the increasing importance of omnichannel retailing strategies for market participants.
Regional Variances and Policy Impacts
Regional market performance displayed significant divergence:
China led with an impressive 11.5% surge in market activity, largely propelled by proactive government trade-in policies. Aggregate profits for China's listed companies, including those in consumer electronics, rose 2.54% year-on-year, with the domestic replacement of consumer electronics accelerating, leading to a 24.82% increase in industry revenue.
The Middle East saw a 5% expansion.
Emerging Asia and Latin America returned to positive growth.
Western Europe also transitioned back to positive growth.
In contrast, Developed Asia experienced a decline.
The broader PC market echoed these trends, with global shipments reaching over 63 million units in Q2 2025, a 4.4% rise from the prior year. Leading vendors like Lenovo (up 13.9% with 26.9% market share) and Apple (up 13.4% with 9% market share) demonstrated significant growth, while Dell experienced a 3% decline.
Consumer Behavior and Market Sentiment
Despite ongoing macroeconomic uncertainties, including inflation and evolving trade dynamics, the market exhibits cautious optimism. Consumers are increasingly strategic in their purchasing decisions, prioritizing value. NIQ's data indicates that 60% of global respondents consider 'good value for money' as the most important attribute for a brand.
> “Consumers are becoming more deliberate in how and when they spend,” commented Michael McLaughlin, SVP – Tech & Durables Retail, NIQ. “NIQ's gfknewron Consumer data shows a clear trend: shoppers are timing their purchases strategically—often waiting for promotions—but when they do buy, they tend to spend more than originally planned. This behavior underscores the power of perceived value and the continued relevance of promotional events in driving sales.”
This behavior has contributed to a dual trend: consumers are holding onto devices for longer periods, but when they do upgrade, they often opt for higher-end replacements. Premium models priced above $600 saw a 7% growth, while sales of sub-$600 models remained stagnant. Interestingly, AI is not yet a primary purchase driver for most end consumers, despite its presence in 39% of the laptop market, highlighting a perception gap between innovation and consumer utility.
Broader Context and Industry Evolution
The rising popularity of refurbished and used devices is a significant market shift. Sales of used and refurbished phones grew over 10% in 2022 and 6% in 2023, while new smartphone sales decreased. This segment is projected to grow by around 5% through Q3 2025, with the market for refurbished devices and repair services expected to exceed $150 billion globally by 2027. This trend is driven by consumer value-seeking and bolstered by governmental initiatives, such as the EU's new eco-design and right-to-repair regulations set to take effect in June 2025.
The PC gaming market is poised for a significant upgrade cycle in 2025. An aging hardware base from pandemic-era purchases, coupled with anticipated new GPU generations from Nvidia and AMD at CES 2025, is expected to fuel increased spending on gaming hardware. Companies like Corsair Gaming are strategically positioned to capitalize on this trend.
NIQ's own financial performance reflects this resilience, with Q2 organic constant currency revenue growing 5.7% to $1.04 billion, exceeding prior expectations. Management subsequently raised guidance for both Q3 and full-year 2025, signaling confidence in sustained demand and robust pipelines. Adjusted EBITDA increased 16% year-over-year in Q2, with margins expanding to 20.6%, driven by integration synergies and operating leverage.
Looking Ahead
The remainder of 2025 is expected to see continued market activity shaped by several key factors. The ongoing Windows 11 replacement cycles and enterprise demand are anticipated to support PC shipments globally, though Gartner forecasts a plateau in shipment growth during the second half of the year as vendors manage inventory levels.
The gaming industry will be a focal point, particularly with the scheduled release of Nintendo's Switch 2 on June 5, 2025. Furthermore, the increasing emphasis on value, sustainability, and circular business models will continue to drive product development and marketing strategies, with regulatory frameworks also playing an expanding role. Investors will be closely monitoring consumer spending patterns, especially during promotional periods, and the impact of regional policies on market segments.
