The reconditioned smartphone market - France

The refurbished smartphone market refers to all economic activity relating to the resale of refurbished smartphones in France. A refurbished smartphone is a product that has been unpacked, even used for a period of time, then returned or resold to a professional. The smartphone is then checked, repaired, sometimes unlocked (to enable it to be used with a new mobile operator) and guaranteed by a factory specialized in reconditioning, before being put back on the market, often at advantageous prices. The global market is growing, and is expected to grow at an annual rate of 11.45% between 2022 and 2030. The European and French markets are following the same trajectory as the global data. Between 2017 and 2023, sales of refurbished smartphones rose by 136% . Apple and Samsung smarthpones are the brands most in demand by buyers of refurbished devices, and in 2023 it was the Iphone 11 that sold the most on the French refurbished smartphone market. This mode of purchase has several advantages, the first being that buyers are able to purchase high-tech smartphones at lower prices than on the new market. Secondly, players in the refurbished market claim to be an eco-responsible solution: in fact, buying refurbished or reselling a device bought new to give it a second life limits electronic waste and encourages second-hand use. Despite a positive trend in demand, suppliers may find it difficult to meet this demand due to difficulties in sourcing products for reconditioning. Professionals are therefore relying on consumers to take back their old smartphones. In recent years, the French Tech community has become aware of a French player that has become a key player in the global refurbished market: this is the French unicorn Backmarket, a company founded in 2014 and valued in 2022 at over 5 billion euros.