New data from Vodafone in collaboration with Recommerce and KANTAR shows that 52% of Europeans are willing to buy a refurbished smartphone in the future. It found that 43% of Europeans have already owned a second-hand device, compared to 42% last year.
The findings are quite interesting because in recent years, device manufacturers have been pushing the circular economy where people to trade in their devices and buy refurbished ones so that materials can be reused. The amount customers can save by buying refurbished or second-hand can vary a lot but usually retailers try to make the offer more attractive by including things like warranty.
The study, carried out by KANTAR, tracked the sentiment of EU customers across 12 major countries including Ireland and Portugal for the first time. In Romania and Spain, over 60% of consumers said they intend to buy a refurbished device. In more established countries like France, the survey found 35% of people have previously bought refurbished devices.
Commenting on the findings, Augustin Becquet, CEO of Recommerce, said:
“We are at the forefront of this shift in consumer behaviour, offering high-quality, refurbished devices that help make a significant environmental impact. Our partnership with Vodafone is a testament to our shared vision of a sustainable future, where technology serves as a catalyst for positive change.”
One of the biggest reasons for going with these devices is their lower cost. 67% of the respondents answered this way and it’s not surprising given the very high costs of flagship phones nowadays.
The second biggest reason for choosing refurbs at 39% was the environment. By selecting a refurbished device, the customer is able to reduce their carbon footprint as their device doesn’t require new mining of metals and so on.
The other reasons were warranty assurance (27%), buying a higher-end model (31%), and the after-sale service (18%).
Have you bought a refurbished device? How was your experience?
Source: Vodafone