Romanians are among the most eager Europeans to buy a refurbished smartphone – a demand primarily driven by the desire to save money, according to Recommerce, a European leader in the trade-in and refurbishment of high-tech devices.

Recommerce presents the results of its third annual survey, The Second-Hand Cell Phone Market, conducted by KANTAR in over 12 European countries, including Romania.

In 2023, 3 percent of Romanians purchased a refurbished device. The size of the refurbished smartphone market is on the rise locally, with more than 60 percent of Romanians expressing interest in buying a refurbished handset.

The main incentive for Romanians to purchase a refurbished smartphone is cost, cited by 70 percent of consumers — an increase of 2 points compared to 2022.

This trend is consistent across Europe, with an average of 67 percent of consumers mentioning lower prices, amid the context of rising inflation. Meanwhile, the desire for high-end models is cited by 40 percent of consumers (+5 percent), and still outweighs environmental considerations.

Against this economic backdrop, with the latest models costing up to €1,000, refurbished phones are a budget-friendly option, with prices up to 50 percent lower than for new devices, on average.

In Romania, eco-consciousness is a growing trend, with over 30 percent of consumers (+3 points) aiming to have a positive environmental impact while purchasing a product.

Online platforms remain the predominant choice for purchasing refurbished smartphones, favored by 80 percent of consumers, the highest rate across European countries. More consumers – 44 percent – are choosing to buy from telecom operators, an increase of 5 points.

More Romanians intend to resell their used smartphone rather than keep it

With inflation and purchasing power hot topics, Romanians are increasingly aware of the option to resell their smartphones. A significant 35 percent of respondents voiced the intention to resell their current mobile handset, marking 8 points increase in 2023 on the year before.

The proportion of Romanian consumers planning to keep their old phone for future needs has dropped to 28 percent, a decrease of 3 points. This shift indicates a unique trend among Romanians, mirroring behaviors seen in more mature markets such as France, where the propensity to resell smartphones exceeds the tendency to hold onto them for potential need — a contrast to the prevailing sentiment in the other surveyed countries, where 39 percent of consumers, on average, prefer to hold onto their smartphones as a precaution.

Some 33 percent of Romanians have resolved to give their old phones away, while 7 percent plan to recycle them.

“There is a noticeable trend towards eco-friendly driven purchasing behavior in Romania. More than ever, our company is committed to fostering this transition towards a sustainable smartphone market, while offering consumers a budget-friendly option,” said Hector Destailleur, General Manager of Recommerce Group for Eastern Europe.

“Our refurbished smartphones are an increasingly appealing option to smart buyers. In 2023 alone, we sold over 30,000 refurbished smartphones in the region. From Romania, we expanded to Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Moldova, Slovakia and Slovenia — with more countries to come soon. We’re planning to post at least 30 percent growth in 2024,” added Grégoire Vigroux, Co-Founder & Senior Advisor, Recommerce Eastern Europe.