Electronic component distribution in Russia: as seen by eFind.ru

By Alexey Slavgorodskiy, PhD, CTO, alexey@efind.ru

Published in «Components & Technologies» (July, 2010)

The report is based on the statistical data of eFind.ru.

Introduction

eFind.ru provide service that lets one search electronic components across inventory listings of distributors working in the Russian market. This website meet interests of vendors of electronic components, developers and manufacturers of the electronic devices and equipment. Over 6000 visitors use our service every day, performing about 20000 searches across inventory listing of about 200 vendors. 15 of these 200 vendors enter "Top 20" of Russian distributors (according to data from «The Center of modern electronics»). We can collect and process great volume of the statistical data that let us draw conclusions about interests of the Russian consumers of electronic components, about dynamics of their activity, audience structure, and to reveal some trends on Russian electronic component market.

Visitors overview. Number of contacts between buyers and sellers made on eFind.ru.

Throughout 2008, 2009 number of visitors of our site (fig.1) did not change considerably. Seasonal fluctuations of number of visitors were observed, and comparing the similar periods of these two years (for example, spring-2008 and spring-2009) it was possible to speak about some growth.

But at the end of 2009 number of visitors has begun to increase rapidly. Comparing March 2009 to March 2010 one can see 50 % growth (comparing March-2009 to March-2008 growth is only 9 %).

The similar situation is seen and for other quantity indicators characterising audience of the site. For example, number of searches made by visitors of eFind.ru (fig. 2), and size of "kernel" of an audience (fig. 3). "Kernel" is understood as the number of users visiting eFind.ru every week within month.

As one can see from these figures, new visitors not only made searches (i.e. are target audience for the main service of eFind.ru), but also join the ranks of its most loyal audience ("kernel").

Usefulness of searches made by visitors of eFind.ru for vendors can be assessed with number of contacts happening thanks to participation in eFind.ru. The visitor can contact to supplier in the following ways:

1. By phone (phone number is shown in search results);
2. By e-mail (e-mail is shown in search results);
3. Follow the link to vendor website (from search result);
4. Requests for quotations (RFQ) by means of the web-form located on eFind.ru;
5. Some other ways (for example, visiting vendor office).

From all these ways of communication eFind.ru can control web-form for RFQs. Dynamics of RFQs is shown on fig. 4. As one can see, attendance growth has resulted in increase of number of contacts to vendors through the web-form located on a site.

We also can estimate number of visitors recieved by vendors' websites from eFind.ru. By means of Internet statistics service Liveinternet.ru it is possible to learn number of transitions from eFind.ru to sites where Liveinternet counter is placed (as well as on eFind.ru). These data are shown on fig.5. It is obvious that the number of these transitions also has started to grow at the end of 2009.

From fig. 4 and 5, we can suppose that number of calls , e-mails and other interactions between buyers and sellers, happening thanks to eFind.ru, is also growing.

Thus, it is possible to conclude that the site audience is growing at the expense of visitors who use eFind.ru to find vendors of electronic components.

Such a behaviour of audience can be explained by shortage of certain electronic components which is observed recently («allocation problem»). Electronic parts consumers had to look for new supply chains. Thus the role of electronic parts distributors, both official and independent, increases. All kinds of distributors are presented on eFind.ru, so its audience growth is quite explainable.

Regional origin of eFind.ru visitors

About 80 % of visitors eFind.ru come from Russia. Further go Ukraine (about 9 %) and Belarus (about 4 %).

In table 1 we present the data about the share of users from 20 cities of Russia with the greatest number of eFind.ru users.

For the clear reasons Moscow and St.-Petersburg (37 % and 17 % of an audience in April, 2010) are in the head of this top. However, while the share of St.-Petersburg practically did not change throughout all these years, the share of Moscow has fallen from 45 % in January, 2008 to 37 % in April, 2010. I.e. there is a number of regions in which number of eFind.ru users grow much faster than in Moscow. In a number of cities growth has exceeded 20 % (Novosibirsk, Chelyabinsk, Samara, Ufa, Krasnoyarsk, Izhevsk). It can be explained by development of the centres of electronic industry in certain regions of Russia.

Interests of eFind.ru audience

The analysis of RFQs has been carried out.

RFQs have been grouped: by electronic parts manufacturers (table 2); by part numbers (table 3); by electronic parts types (table 4).

Conclusion

According to presented statistics, Russian electronic components market is growing now. That growth has begun at the end of 2009. Growth of various numerical indicators describing activity of eFind.ru audience is from 30 % to 50 %. We suppose that such a growth is explained by increasing number of electronic parts consumers that had to use Internet services (eFind.ru, for example) to satisfy their needs.

Another interesting result which follows from our statistics is the obvious tendency of increasing (both absolute and relative) numbers of visitors from some "not capital" regions of Russia (i.e. not from Moscow and St.-Petersburg). We suppose that it can be explained by development of electronic industry in these regions.