Table of contents
Inside the report
01
Synopsis
Preview02
Introduction
PreviewRefurbished market
Unlocking growth
in the refurbished electronics market
Convert interest in refurbished tech into sales with the right pricing, the right assurances and the right channel strategy.
20 pages13 min read3,000 respondentsPublished on By the Alchemy research team
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Three findings at a glance
77%
of consumers understand what refurbished means
69%
of consumers say affordability is the main reason for buying refurbished
70%
of consumers say a warranty would make them more confident buying refurbished
Explore the data
Months consumers would bring their next upgrade forward with trade-in
Region
Warranty70%
Return policy56%
Battery guarantee or technical check55%
Certified grading report50%
Photos of device31%
None of these8%
Warranty65%
Return policy54%
Battery guarantee or technical check51%
Certified grading report42%
Photos of device31%
None of these8%
Warranty70%
Return policy56%
Battery guarantee or technical check55%
Certified grading report50%
Photos of device31%
None of these8%
Source: Alchemy proprietary research, n=3,000
Executive summary
What's inside this report
This report is written for OEMs, retailers and carriers in the consumer electronics industry who are looking to grow sales of secondary market devices. Our research explores the factors that are influencing what consumers are buying – or not buying – and why. It looks at the relationship between awareness and conversion, providing insights on what brings consumers into the refurbished market and the barriers that hold them back. It also outlines the actions brands can take to overcome these barriers, build confidence and unlock demand for buying refurbished products.
You'll learn
- How the secondary market becomes a complementary growth channel that protects brand value, serves different consumer needs and unlocks incremental market share.
- That the gap between awareness and conversion is driven by both transparency and reassurance concerns.
The refurb category is already largely understood by consumers. Most understand what refurbished means, however for many, understanding does not always translate into purchase, creating a gap between consumer awareness and actual participation in the refurbished market.
Price is a dominant factor in driving secondary market sales for electronics. But it's clear that price alone is not enough to convert interest into purchase. Instead, we identify the critical factor as being 'confidence'.
By this, we mean consumer confidence in quality, battery health, grading, warranty, and return. Closing that confidence gap is where the second sale is won or lost.
This research was commissioned by Alchemy and conducted by CCS Insight in Q4 2025. It combines qualitative interviews with industry leaders across various consumer electronics sectors, with focus groups and a quantitative online survey of over 3,000 consumers in the US and UK.
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