Table of contents
Inside the report
01
Executive summary
Preview02
The opportunity for emerging trade-in programs
PreviewTrade-in
Building participation
in emerging trade-in programs.
This report is designed for OEMs, retailers and carriers building trade-in programs from scratch, growing from a small base, or extending into categories and markets where trade-in activity is still low.
10 pages9 min readPublished on By the Alchemy research team
FreeEmail required30 seconds
Download the full report.
We'll email you the attachment.
Three findings at a glance
45%
of consumers tend to trade in a beauty and personal care device in the future
42%
of floorcare products are thrown away, disposed of, or recycled
21%
of consumers are not trading in because they think that their old device is not worth anything
Explore the data
Unused electronic products currently at home
Region
Total
19%
23%
21%
11%
6%
10%
11%
US
20%
25%
24%
13%
5%
5%
9%
UK
15%
28%
22%
10%
6%
8%
12%
Germany
19%
19%
18%
11%
7%
16%
11%
Poland
18%
21%
22%
11%
6%
9%
14%
1 product
2 products
3 products
4 products
5 products
6 or more products
Not sure
Source: Alchemy proprietary research, n=11,218
Executive summary
What's inside this report
Learn how to build a successful consumer electronics trade-in program, establish participation and create the foundations for sustainable growth.
You'll learn
- Make trade-in visible throughout the customer purchase cycle.
- Educate consumers about the value of their unused electronics.
- Build trust through data-wiping assurances, price guarantees and clear returns.
- Design the right mix of online and in-store trade-in channels.
For brands building a new trade-in program, expanding into a new market or introducing trade-in within an emerging category, the priority is to establish participation from the outset. This requires making trade-in consistently visible, educating consumers about the value of their unused products, building trust through clear guarantees and data-security assurances, and providing both online and in-store routes that reflect customer preferences.
A well-designed trade-in program can create value far beyond product recovery. It can bring purchases forward, encourage customers to choose higher-end products, support cross-selling, attract new customers, improve brand perception and strengthen loyalty. This report provides research-backed actions to help OEMs, retailers and carriers build an effective trade-in proposition with the foundations to grow.
The research was commissioned by Alchemy in August 2026. It comprises a quantitative online survey of 11,217 consumers across the UK, US, Germany and Poland, covering seven consumer electronics categories.
Ready to read?
Get the full report in your inbox
10 pages of proprietary research, consumer insights, and an operational playbook - free to download.