Table of contents
Inside the report
01
Synopsis
Preview02
Introduction
PreviewTrade-in
Standing out in
a crowded market with trade-in
Trade-in is becoming a competitive advantage for both ecommerce and physical consumer electronics retailers, helping you differentiate on value, reduce purchase friction and capture demand at the point of sale.
27 pages17 min read3,000 respondentsPublished on By the Alchemy research team
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Three findings at a glance
41%
of consumers only consider trade-in when they're actively buying a new device
71%
of consumers assume older or non-working products have little or no trade-in value
58%
of consumers say tracked shipping would increase their trust in the brand
Explore the data
What drives consumer trust in trade-in
Region
Guaranteed trade-in price68%
Certified data wiping or assisted wiping in-store65%
Easy return if grading differs62%
Return option if valuation differs from estimate61%
Prepaid insurance shipping with tracking61%
Return policy59%
Trusted partners and certifications56%
Device health and battery check before final valuation55%
Option to drop off at a postbox instead of the post office45%
Option to receive trade-in value as donation to charity39%
Guaranteed trade-in price69%
Certified data wiping or assisted wiping in-store65%
Easy return if grading differs64%
Return option if valuation differs from estimate64%
Prepaid insurance shipping with tracking61%
Return policy60%
Trusted partners and certifications57%
Device health and battery check before final valuation55%
Option to drop off at a postbox instead of the post office47%
Option to receive trade-in value as donation to charity37%
Guaranteed trade-in price68%
Certified data wiping or assisted wiping in-store66%
Easy return if grading differs62%
Return option if valuation differs from estimate60%
Prepaid insurance shipping with tracking59%
Return policy58%
Trusted partners and certifications55%
Device health and battery check before final valuation55%
Option to drop off at a postbox instead of the post office45%
Option to receive trade-in value as donation to charity40%
Source: Alchemy proprietary research, n=3,000
Executive summary
What's inside this report
This report explores how online and bricks-and-mortar consumer electronics retailers can leverage trade-in as a powerful commercial tool, with benefits spanning multiple core business objectives, including: boosting new customer acquisition; increasing basket sizes; shortening upgrade cycles; and increasing loyalty.
You'll learn
- How online and in-store consumer electronics retailers can use trade-in to differentiate on value and capture demand at the point of sale
- Why trade-in can reduce purchase friction, improve conversion and give retailers a stronger reason to engage customers during the buying journey
- What retailers need to do to make trade-in work effectively across ecommerce, physical stores and customer communications
When properly executed with compelling trade-in values, trade-in programs can strengthen one of retail’s most powerful purchase drivers: perceived value. By unlocking value from already owned devices, trade-in reduces the effective price of new purchases for consumers and acts as a compelling commercial lever across the entire customer journey, from consideration through to conversion.
This report explores the key aspects of retail trade-in, from motivators to barriers, and provides guidance on how to implement trade-in programs which deliver high-impact, profitable revenue for your business.
The analysis in this report is based on research commissioned by Alchemy and conducted by CCS Insight in Q4 2025. The insights are based on a quantitative online survey of over 3,000 consumers in the US and UK, consumer focus groups, and interviews with industry leaders across various consumer electronics sectors.Ready to read?
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