Are COUGAR sales in Russia continuing to develop? Can this be supported by specific growth figures? Which channels provided the main growth?
Traditionally, our communication is before the COMPUTEX exhibition, so I can provide an answer based on last year's results: COUGAR grew by approximately 5% in Russia, while computer cases showed a significant increase of 60% compared to the previous year. In units, this is more than 230 thousand units. The growth is associated with the introduction of a number of new strong models, such as FV150 RGB, MX110 RGB, which led to an increase in the brand's market share.
FV150 RGB
We started this year with sales approximately at the level of last year, while the market itself fell by 15-20%. That is, overall, the brand and widespread recognition helped us successfully "pass the exam" in the first quarter in such a declining market. Among the channels, the main channel for components is and remains DNS.
MX110 RGB
What exactly is driving the continued growth of your gaming and ergonomic furniture production?
Gaming and ergonomic furniture, unlike components, shows steady growth at the beginning of 2026. The market here feels more confident. Cougar has new lines of gaming chairs in different materials and colors, such as Explore Royal F, Defensor S, the ergonomic line Stryder, and the best-selling ergonomic model Speeder One. Growth is due to the expansion of the assortment, the formation of offers in different segments: entry-level up to 10 thousand rubles, mid-range 10-20 thousand rubles, and also in the premium segment.
Stryder
Have any new production sites appeared in the last two years?
The company is not expanding its production base; we are introducing a new model range based on the refinement and improvement of existing models.
What new models of ergonomic desks have you introduced? Are there models with programmable height memory, posture feedback, or smart home integration?
For ergonomic desks, the focus was more on models in the budget segment, with a larger tabletop, these are the E-STAR and E-GRAV lines. The models turned out to be so successful that by early May they were completely sold out at DNS, which received exclusive rights to sell them.
E-GRAV
Provide 2-3 examples of the boldest design solutions over the past two years that either took off or failed in the Russian market.
Surprisingly, as a rule, the boldest design solutions more often fall into the category of "failed" ones. It seems to me that this may be due to the fact that in the PC segment, users already more or less know what they need, and new products are perceived very cautiously. For example, after 2 years of development, we launched the innovative mirror model OMNY X, which, despite its low price and unique design, did not become popular in the Russian market.
OMNY_X
The same can be said about the AIRFACE ECO case with a front mesh panel. Narrowing inward from a wide opening, the conical ventilation holes more efficiently direct air into the case, maintaining a lower internal temperature with less energy consumption. And even despite the high user rating (4.84 points), sales of the model never took off.
AIRFACE ECO
How have your sales through marketplaces changed in the last year? Do you feel the "shelf effect" when platform algorithms stifle a brand if it doesn't pay for internal advertising?
We work very little through marketplaces. This is due to the lack of strong distribution that is ready to work effectively in this direction. Also, marketplace algorithms can change prices at their discretion, which can violate the brand's pricing policy and harm other partners. Therefore, we admit that this is a powerful tool, but we are currently using it very limitedly.
How is your interaction with esports progressing? Does such support pay off with direct sales, or is it purely an image-building story?
Currently, COUGAR has gained high recognition both globally and in Russia. Therefore, in Russia, we focus on working with the channel and with the user. We have entrusted our global marketing department with esports activities.
Are you not afraid of diluting the image of a premium brand due to the budget segment?
On the contrary. If the product is of high quality, with high feedback, then users will undoubtedly return, but for a higher-class model.
Is your business in Russia shifting towards "working/ergonomic" chairs for offices (remote workers) or do you remain in the niche of purely gaming attributes?
By no means is it shifting, but rather developing this direction in parallel. This is related to the launch of the new Speeder and Speeder One lines last year, and Stryder this year. And this direction will continue to develop.
How are sales of your gaming chairs going in Russia? Is there seasonality, and how do you prepare for it?
For new gaming models, we are currently collecting "excellent reviews" from users. In particular, for the new Defensor, Defensor S lines and the new Explore F line (Jet Gray/Navy Blue) in different colors – reviews by early May were only "excellent," which is generally rare for gaming furniture due to the peculiarities of ergonomics and its perception by the user. Therefore, against the background of such reviews, we expect significant growth, but in the second half of the year, when the models become more recognizable in the market.
Explore F (Jet Gray/Navy Blue)
Does COUGAR have plans to localize the assembly of at least part of its assortment (chairs, tables) in Russia?
There are no such plans yet. Since the brand is global, our main advantage is the scale of production, which provides a lower cost. And our prices are what Russian users perceive very positively. Whether localization can provide such a volume of sales and make the cost lower is, of course, a question. I do not rule out that we will consider this if we find partners in Russia who can implement this scenario.
How do you resolve the issue of warranty service and the availability of spare parts in the Russian Federation?
A minimum stock of spare parts is always available in Russia; if necessary, we replenish it. But the percentage of defects in our furniture is extremely low, that is, fractions of a percent, for example, one appeal per 500-700 sold chairs.
What are the three main trends you see in gaming furniture right now? And which of them does COUGAR use better than competitors?
I would highlight three main criteria that are important to users in Russia, and for which we could give ourselves 90 points out of 100: these are materials, ergonomics, and affordability. In furniture upholstery, we started using fabric with leather imitation, for chairs always a class four gas lift, and for Defensor S also a multi-block. While the retail price for such a model is up to 27 thousand rubles, which, of course, makes premium models affordable.
Defensor S