Russia's M.Video starts used smartphone sales as foreign supplies dwindle

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian consumer electronics retailer M.Video-Eldorado on Thursday said it had started selling discounted and used smartphones, offering Russian consumers cheaper alternatives as Western brands suspend shipments.

Apple paused all product sales in Russia in early March, one of many Western companies to distance itself from Moscow since it sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 in what it called a special military operation.

M.Video said the move expanded its available range of devices and that it was offering "like new" Apple products.

Given limited supply to the Russian market, M.Video said discounted, used electronics that are fully functional had the potential to offer an effective alternative to consumers seeking a flagship device.

M.Video is following in the footsteps of mobile operator MTS, which launched a similar venture in May.

On Wednesday, the retailer said it would more than halve its 2022 investment programme in year-on-year terms and was working on diversifying its supplier base.

(Reporting by Reuters; editing by David Evans)