Carrier sales for the Pixel 6 series have been low despite high rebates on sales in stores, according to a new report from industry analyst firm Wave7.
Wave7 surveyed salespeople directly in US carrier stores in an attempt to gain a more complete picture of the market. Notably, carrier stores remain an important aspect of the U.S. market, accounting for the vast majority of post-launch sales.
According to the unpublished report, salespeople at U.S. carrier stores are claiming lower sales figures for the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. Although Google offers “tips” or rebates to help boost sales at Verizon stores.This is standard practice in the industry, but Wave7 told PCMag The incentives are “very high” compared to other smartphones sold in stores.
A rep apparently told Wave7 that they had already sold the Pixel 6 series of phones to buyers when the Galaxy S22 series sold out. Another representative said that only “die-hard” Pixel fans would buy the two new devices from the store.
Post-launch demand for the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro surged, resulting in fluctuating inventory levels in the Google Store and multiple online retailers. Of course, given that subscriber upgrades will be staggered and therefore more consistent, carrier sales tend to be slower and more consistent throughout the year.
This directly contradicts Google’s recent claims that the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro helped set a quarterly sales record. Counterpoint Research also shows that the Pixel 6 series helped Google grow sales by 56% year-over-year from the fourth quarter of 2020 to the fourth quarter of 2021. This makes Google the top three high-end smartphone supplier in North America, after Samsung and Apple.
Another previous report from Wave7 also suggested that sales in brick-and-mortar stores would jump by shortly after launch. The flagship pair appears to be the most popular at Verizon, where it captured 3% and 5% of store sales in October and November, respectively. AT&T’s growth rate was 3% in both months, while T-Mobile’s growth was 2% in October and 3% in November. It’s unclear what has changed since then, but it’s easy to point the finger at the recent Galaxy S22 build and ongoing Pixel 6 issues.
9to5Google’s take
As bad as this may seem, the U.S. market is a tough nut to crack. Google has traditionally sold the Pixel line unlocked primarily through its own online storefront. With a huge marketing push and a traditionally smaller user base than Samsung and Apple, making waves in such a competitive North American market has always been a daunting task. Globally, the Pixel 6 series is available on a wider range of carriers, which will give a better picture of overall sales.
High-profile bugs and performance-related issues are sure to trickle down beyond the average tech enthusiast, but it’s unclear how these issues will directly impact sales. Die-hard tech enthusiasts will undoubtedly be more hesitant to upgrade, but again, these potential buyers are likely to opt for the unlocked model instead of heading to a carrier store to buy it.
Giving salespeople bigger incentives than actual buyers isn’t necessarily the best way to help improve in-store and in-person sales. Higher commissions or “spends” can lead to aggressive sales tactics that can put off potential buyers. The reliability of this information is also unclear, given that Wave7 has not publicly released its findings and the limited nature of the operator’s sales staff surveyed. Buyers of the Pixel 6 series, however, have little appetite for Google’s upcoming Pixel 6a in the near future.
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