The interest in and thus the market for professionally refurbished electronic and electrical appliances is growing and growing. Specialized platforms such as Backmarket or Refurbed have discovered this niche for themselves. Now the topic is increasingly reaching the mainstream, so that broader-based marketplaces are also increasingly offering refurbished devices. This means that suppliers of refurbished products are finding more and more platforms through which they can sell their goods. MediaMarktSaturn started this four years ago and is now massively promoting its refurbished business.
Development of the refurbished business
When it started four years ago, MediaMarktSaturn’s range of professionally refurbished products was still very modest, and there was no major advertising for it. A good two years ago, however, MediaMarktSaturn transferred all efforts in this area into a central initiative. Since September 2023, there has been a separate category for refurbished goods in the online marketplace MediaMarktSaturn has thus laid the foundation for rapid growth and good scaling opportunities. The biggest leap in development so far was the introduction of a new display of used goods with their product conditions directly on the product detail pages in the shop in the summer of 2024.
There were two reasons for MediaMarktSaturn to enter the refurbished business: firstly, it supports the electronics retailer’s sustainability strategy, in which the circular economy and the conservation of resources play a crucial role. Secondly, refurbished products offer a cost-effective alternative to new goods. This enables the retailer to tap into new customer segments in which it has not previously achieved transactions and conversions.
Refurbished items with impressive sales figures
The growing interest is impressively confirmed by the figures: In the 2022/2023 financial year, MediaMarktSaturn sold 18,000 refurbished devices. In 2023/2024, the figure was already 68,000, and for 2025/2026, the marketplace has set itself a target of 220,000 sales And there is certainly still room for growth: estimates assume an annual market volume in Europe of around 15 billion euros – for refurbished consumer electronics products alone.
MediaMarktSaturn currently offers more than 15,000 SKUs with the product conditions “excellent”, “very good” and “good”. About two-thirds are smartphones, followed by tablets and notebooks. Overall, Apple devices are very well represented. In addition, the marketplace also offers products from the gaming and small and large household appliance sectors. In principle, the company is observing increasing demand in all areas. So it plans to offer its customers affordable refurbished goods in almost every product category in the future.
Sales opportunities for refurbishers
MediaMarktSaturn itself does not refurbish any products. This means that professional refurbishers can use the marketplace as a sales channel. Before a seller can offer their goods, they must meet a catalog of criteria from MediaMarktSaturn. The platform operator relies on “quality over quantity” and only activates sellers who can demonstrably meet the requirements and comply with the high-quality standards. After all, customer trust is crucial. If MediaMarktSaturn fails to deliver on its quality promise to its customers, the entire foundation for the refurbished business would be lost.
That’s why every seller receives a Refurbished Playbook during onboarding. It contains all the specifications for refurbishment and uniform classification into the respective product conditions. MediaMarktSaturn monitors this on a random basis with test purchases. At the same time, the seller themselves has a great interest in ensuring that their refurbished products reach the customer in perfect condition. Sellers set their own prices If the seller is liable for VAT, he can also show the VAT. MediaMarktSaturn then offers its customers a two-year warranty on all refurbished products.
Stationary retail as a driver for refurbished products
MediaMarktSaturn, as a retailer with a strong focus on stationary retail, also brings its omnichannel expertise to the table In the Turkish branches of MediaMarktSaturn.There are already specially trained employees who advise customers on refurbished smartphones. Customers can examine the devices on the spot and buy them. In Germany, the electronics retailer has set up a Circularity PopUp Store that specifically focuses on reconditioned and sustainable products. MediaMarktSaturn plans to implement this concept from Tübingen in other locations in the coming years.
Want to know more? Then check out our article Secondhand Christmas, which explains why “pre-loved” gets a lot of love this season.