TÜRKİYE’S TECHNOLOGY MARKET ENTERS THE ERA OF “JUSTIFIED” PURCHASES…

Consumer purchasing behaviour in Türkiye’s Technology and Durables (T&D) market is changing. Consumers are shifting from asking “Can I afford this?” to “Will I still feel this was the right purchase six months from now?” For T&D manufacturers, this means that growth will increasingly depend on building consumer confidence in the long-term value of their products. NielsenIQ’s latest State of Tech & Durables report, Consumer Tech Trends 2027: How to Win When Every Purchase Must Be Justified, reveals that consumers are becoming more selective about when and why they purchase or upgrade technology products.

Commenting on the research, Didem Şekerel Erdoğan, NielsenIQ Türkiye General Manager, Vice President of E-Commerce for Eastern Europe, Middle East, Africa & India, said: “The criteria shaping consumer purchasing decisions in the Technology and Durables market are changing. Understanding consumer expectations and preferences is essential for brands to adapt to evolving market dynamics and capitalise on sustainable growth opportunities. Our Consumer Technology Trends 2027 report offers valuable insights into understanding this transformation and assessing the opportunities ahead for the industry.”

Based on a survey of 17,000 adult consumers across 17 markets, including Türkiye, and NielsenIQ’s global sales intelligence, the Consumer Tech Trends 2027 report examines how consumer technology brands need to innovate not only in terms of features and technical specifications, but also in terms of durability, efficiency and practical benefits.

Key findings from the report include:

Global Technology and Durables sales are forecast to reach USD 1.4 trillion in 2026, representing year-on-year growth of 5.1%.
63% of Technology and Durables consumers exhibit high price sensitivity.
60% of consumers prioritise brands that offer “good value for money”.
56% of consumers have delayed a technology purchase because a product was too expensive or they were waiting for discounts.
When defining value, consumers place durability, quality, convenience and trust ahead of affordability.

Didem Şekerel Erdoğan commented: “Consumers in Türkiye are making Technology and Durables purchases against the backdrop of current economic conditions. This is putting brands under greater pressure to demonstrate why every purchase is worth the investment. For Technology and Durables brands, this creates a new growth equation. As consumers assess product replacement decisions more carefully, they are considering more factors at the point of purchase. Expectations around durability and practical benefits are increasing, while the risk of consumers delaying purchases, trading down to lower-priced products or switching to competing brands is growing.”

According to the report, the growth opportunities that Technology and Durables brands can explore in this changing market include:

1. Pricing for Confidence, Not Just Conversion…

Changing economic conditions over the years have prompted consumers in Türkiye to turn their available cash into different investment instruments. Like consumers elsewhere in the world, consumers in Türkiye are looking beyond the lowest price, preferring a price they can feel confident about and that they believe will deliver value for their money. During promotional events, consumers may even choose a more premium product than they initially intended to buy when they believe that spending a little more will provide better value.

This indicates that promotional strategies should serve as an important growth engine in 2027. In Türkiye’s rapidly growing yet highly developed e-commerce market, promotional periods offer significant opportunities to convert value-conscious consumers into buyers. These periods therefore provide Technology and Durables brands in Türkiye with an opportunity to build consumer confidence and encourage consumers to trade up to products offering greater value.

2. Innovating Where Benefits Are Most Visible and Relevant…

Globally, one in five consumers are delaying technology purchases because they do not find the products available compelling enough to replace their existing devices. This suggests that brands may be losing potential customers because their product features, design or offers fail to meet consumer expectations.

To win over consumers in Türkiye, brands need to build a strong reputation for quality and value, taking product price, performance, durability and user satisfaction into consideration together. NielsenIQ’s report highlights several key areas where brands can offer differentiated benefits:

Across many Technology and Durables categories, consumer demand for energy-efficient products is increasing. Consumers are looking to save on electricity costs while also seeking solutions that offer longer battery life for their devices.
Interoperability, meaning the seamless operation of products from different brands with one another, has become an important consumer expectation. Consumers in Türkiye show a significantly stronger inclination towards interoperability than the global average. This indicates that product interoperability and open ecosystems are becoming important competitive considerations in the Turkish market.
Artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly important part of the value proposition across many Technology and Durables categories. However, adding AI functionality alone does not automatically justify a higher price. In a market where consumers are carefully evaluating their purchases, brands need to translate AI capabilities into tangible benefits, such as saving time, reducing effort, improving performance or extending the useful life of products.

3. Building Long-Term Value Through Lower-Risk Ownership Models…

Consumers are looking beyond the upfront purchase price to assess the overall value, risks and responsibilities associated with the products they buy. They want to know how long products will last, how much they will cost to operate, whether they can be repaired or resold, and what happens when they reach the end of their useful life.

For consumers in Türkiye, sustainability needs to be addressed not only as an ethical issue but also in terms of product value. Longer product lifecycles, lower running costs and easier repairs form the basis of this approach. Considerations around the end of a product’s useful life, including practices such as trade-in offers, are also gaining importance. The report highlights the following opportunities for Technology and Durables brands in Türkiye:

Consumers are increasingly exploring alternatives to purchasing new products across all Technology and Durables (T&D) categories. Comprehensive product testing, transparent descriptions of product condition and strong after-sales support are among the key factors that can build consumer confidence in refurbished products. New regulations introduced in Türkiye for the refurbished products market may also strengthen consumer confidence by contributing to a safer and more transparent second-hand technology ecosystem.
Sustainability remains an important area of differentiation that can support premiumisation in certain markets and categories. In Türkiye, energy efficiency stands out through the savings it delivers and its contribution to household budgets. This approach is gaining importance as energy and housing costs continue to put pressure on household budgets.

4. Learning from Challenger Brands That Excel at Communicating Value…

Consumers around the world are becoming more open to purchasing new and emerging brands that offer quality products at competitive prices. Successful brands are making the value they offer easier to understand and more clearly communicating it to consumers at the point of purchase in order to compete with new market entrants. At this stage, when brands play an important role in shaping consumer preferences, they need to increase their visibility and deliver clear messages around price and trust.

5. Positioning for AI-Driven Discovery and Digital Shopping…

Globally, approximately two-thirds (65%) of consumers typically begin their research into consumer technology products and home appliances online. With the growing number of consumers using AI-powered search tools, this trend requires brands to reconsider how they reach consumers and become part of their evaluation process.

In retail, it is now essential for brands to be easily discoverable across every channel where consumers are present and making purchasing decisions, to assess consumer signals quickly, respond to consumer needs and build trust. Brands that structure their product information, stock availability and purchase history in ways that can be easily understood by AI and digital systems are better positioned than those focusing solely on visibility in traditional search results.

Stating that technological innovation alone is no longer sufficient reason to upgrade a device, Didem Şekerel Erdoğan concluded: “Brands in Türkiye need to communicate the value they offer more clearly. Consumers are now paying attention not only to product features, but also to compatibility with their existing technology ecosystems, the tangible benefits delivered by artificial intelligence and after-sales support. While artificial intelligence, energy efficiency, refurbished products and trade-in programmes offer significant opportunities, the ultimate goal should be to turn every purchase from simply choosing a new product into a smarter, long-term solution.”