Breezy enters Azerbaijan market with a strong development plan
Breezy, a leading player in the refurbished electronics market that is a subsidiary of ASBISC Enterprises PLC (WSE: ASB), a leading value-added distributor, developer and supplier of ICT and IoT products, solutions and services on the growing markets of Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), starts operations in Azerbaijan. This is the seventh country in which Breezy operates, supporting electronics retailers and telecom operators in implementing a sustainable approach to electronics and the circular economy.
Breezy plans to develop its business in Azerbaijan – building an extensive network of Trade-In partners, implementing the breezy.az e-commerce platform, and expanding its own retail network, Breezy Experience Stores. By the end of 2024, at least one such store is to be built in the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan – Baku.
In 2023, Breezy refurbished 160,000 phones, reducing CO2 equivalent emissions by 12,640 tons. By exchanging their electronic devices in the Trade-In system at Breezy Experience Stores and in the company’s partner stores, customers saved approximately USD 20 million last year.
Breezy is the region’s largest Trade-in provider for retail and telecommunications companies and a leading player in the refurbished electronics market. Today, the company has offices in seven countries: Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Poland, and Ukraine, employing approximately 200 people. Breezy’s partner portfolio includes over 40 leading retail chains (iSpace, OLX, Rozetka, Foxtrot, Sulpak, Mechta, Mi-Markt, etc.), telecommunications companies (Orange, Vodafone, KCELL, and others) and suppliers (including Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Honor). In addition to partner stores, Breezy products are distributed through its own network, which consists of four e-commerce platforms and eight showrooms under the Breezy Experience Stores brand.
The development of Breezy is related to the development of a closed-loop economy by extending the life of devices. The company provides a full cycle of giving a “second life” to electronic devices, from providing Trade-in services to retailers to refurbishment in its own production plants and returning the devices to the market. Products that do not qualify for refurbishment after diagnosis are safely recycled.
Serhei Kostevitch, CEO of the ASBIS Group commented: “In ASBIS we care very much about a sustainable approach to the environment. Therefore, creating Breezy and developing the company’s activities was a natural business step for us. Breezy combines a dynamic and profitable business development through an ecological approach which perfectly suits our strategy. We see a very high demand for this type of services not only in Western Europe, but also in Eastern markets, where we are very strong. We continue support the development of Breezy since we believe in the company’s mission, which aligns with the overall Group’s mission and we are happy to see its expansion plan materializing.”
Andrii Kosar, CEO of Breezy, commented: “Azerbaijan is the seventh country where Breezy implements its solutions. We see the enormous potential of this market, which is why we have set ambitious development plans. Our vision is to create a full-cycle business with our own electronics sorting and refurbishment facilities, as well as multi-channel sales. I am convinced that our sustainable solutions will perfectly meet the needs of the dynamically developing economy of Azerbaijan.”
Sorting and refurbishing of electronic devices take place at Breezy production plants, the largest of which was opened in 2023 in Raszyn near Warsaw (Poland). This automated and robotic facility, with an area of approximately 1000 m², ensures high speed and quality of device restoration. The production facility has three ISO quality certifications: quality management system ISO 9001, environmental impact reduction system ISO 14001, and information security management system ISO 27001.