In a nutshell:
MediaMarktSaturn is expanding its refurbished product program, selling 260,000 devices in fiscal year 2024/2025. The company now offers a dedicated Refurbished category and improves visibility through Google Shopping and price-comparison feeds. Working with certified sellers, MediaMarktSaturn ensures product quality and offers two-year warranties. The refurbished business aligns with its sustainability strategy, attracting new customer segments. Additionally, customer returns are refurbished and resold, with plans for in-store pickup and pop-up stores focused on sustainable products.
A Europe-wide Refurbished Trend
Specialist platforms such as Backmarket, Refurbed or Refurbished have shown the way: selling reconditioned electronic devices can be a highly profitable business. Now, broader marketplaces like MediaMarktSaturn are also benefiting from the refurbished boom. The electronics retailer continues to expand its refurbished programme and sold around 260,000 reconditioned devices in the last financial year.
Few market segments are currently growing as fast as certified pre-owned electronics. The estimated market volume for reconditioned consumer electronics reached €52 billion in 2024 and is expected to climb to around €54.4 billion this year. According to analysts at Global Market Insights, the sector will continue to grow at an average annual rate of 4.4% through 2034, potentially surpassing €80 billion in total value.
How MediaMarktSaturn Is Expanding Its Refurbished Business
MediaMarktSaturn began selling renewed products four years ago. Initially, the initiative received little public attention and minimal promotion. That has changed dramatically over the past two years: since September 2023, the marketplace has featured a dedicated Refurbished category. More than 21,500 products in the conditions “excellent”, “very good” and “good” are now available – from smartphones and tablets to notebooks and small domestic appliances.
A major leap forward came in summer 2024, when certified pre-owned items began appearing directly on product detail pages alongside new products. Until mid-year, smartphones (mainly iPhones) dominated sales with a 70% share, followed by tablets and notebooks (20%). Recently, the mix has shifted: smartphones now account for about half of sales, while categories such as small appliances, photography, gaming, floor care, IT and smartphone accessories together make up 30%, and tablets and notebooks hold the remaining 20%.
Increasing Visibility for Refurbished Products
MediaMarktSaturn continues to work on improving visibility for renewed listings. A newly optimised Google Shopping and price-comparison feed is expected to drive off-site traffic and strengthen discoverability. With the holiday season approaching, sellers particularly benefit from this increased visibility. And the company is currently redesigning its search and UX to make it even easier for customers to find refurbished products.
In addition, MediaMarktSaturn actively promotes renewed products onsite and through its customer communication channels – including newsletters. The current focus lies on refurbished smartphones, notebooks and tablets, which see strong seasonal demand.
Sales Channel for Certified Sellers
Most certified pre-owned products on the platform come from around 100 certified sellers using the marketplace as a sales channel. Before being allowed to list products, each seller must meet a detailed set of criteria. The guiding principle is “quality over quantity” – only those who demonstrably meet the standards and maintain consistent quality are approved.
Every new seller receives a Refurbished Playbook during onboarding, outlining the requirements for refurbishment and the unified grading of product conditions. MediaMarktSaturn verifies compliance through random checks and test purchases. Sellers set their own prices, and VAT can be displayed if applicable. Customers receive a two-year warranty on all refurbished products sold via MediaMarktSaturn.
Strong Growth in Sales
The sales figures confirm MediaMarktSaturn’s strategy. In fiscal year 2022/2023, the company sold around 18,000 refurbished devices; in 2023/2024, that number rose to 68,000. In 2024/2025, MediaMarktSaturn achieved 260,000 refurbished sales – far exceeding its internal target of 220,000 units.
Two main factors drove MediaMarktSaturn’s decision to enter the refurbished business. First, it aligns perfectly with the company’s sustainability strategy, which emphasises circular economy principles and resource efficiency. Second, refurbished products offer a cost-effective alternative to new goods, enabling the retailer to reach new customer segments that had previously shown little purchase activity.
Selling Returns as Refurbished Products
A further motivation stems from MediaMarktSaturn’s own customer returns. For several months, the retailer has also been acting as a seller of refurbished products on its own marketplace. Previously, it had not offered any reconditioned goods directly. These products mainly consist of customer returns that are inspected, cleaned, data-wiped and graded before resale.
Currently, MediaMarktSaturn sells these items online only, where they achieve the highest visibility via the product detail pages. However, to extend the omnichannel approach to this segment, the company is working on enabling in-store pickup. In Tübingen, MediaMarktSaturn has already launched a Circularity Pop-Up Store focused on refurbished and sustainable products – a concept the retailer plans to roll out at additional locations in the coming years.
Key Facts Take aways:
MediaMarktSaturn’s refurbished product program is experiencing significant growth, driven by the increasing demand for reconditioned electronics across Europe.
- Growth of the Market: The certified pre-owned electronics market is growing rapidly, with an estimated value of €52 billion in 2024 and an annual growth rate of 4.4% through 2034.
- MediaMarktSaturn’s Expansion: MediaMarktSaturn has been selling refurbished products for four years and now offers over 21,500 products. Refurbished items now appear directly alongside new products.
- Increased Product Visibility: Renewed items now appear directly alongside new products on product detail pages, significantly improving visibility. MediaMarktSaturn is also optimizing Google Shopping and price comparison feeds, increasing traffic to refurbished listings, especially during peak seasons.
- Strong Growth: Certified pre-owned product sales increased from 18,000 units in 2022 to 260,000 in 2024.
- Certified Sellers: Around 100 certified sellers offer refurbished products. Quality and consistency are ensured through strict requirements and regular checks.
Selling Returns: MediaMarktSaturn now also sells customer returns as refurbished products and is expanding its omnichannel strategy, including in-store pickup.