eBay UK is today launching a new hub making it easier for consumers to find ‘high-quality refurbished products’ from brands such as Dyson, Eve and GoPro.
eBay’s Certified Refurbished hub enables buyers to get their hands on premium brands and products that have been ‘carefully refurbished’, eBay says, and ‘guaranteed for their quality’ – discounted by as much as 30% off.
The products being sold on the Certified Refurbished hub have been inspected, cleaned, and refurbished by the manufacturer or a manufacturer-approved vendor to meet the necessary specifications.
This comes as eBay says it sees ‘growing demand’ from consumers for refurbished products as they look to shop more consciously.
Demand for refurbished products has been growing for some time, but we know that the main barrier for some consumers has been the perceived risk that comes with purchasing a refurbished item.
Searches for refurbished goods have already increased dramatically compared to the prior year, with refurbished printers up 301%, experiencing a massive surge with more people working from home.
There has also been ‘huge demand’ for electronics such as refurbished TVs and laptops, up 103% and 75% respectively, eBay says, while refurbished coffee machines are up 35% as people look for savings in their morning brew.
In the last year alone, 438 double decker buses in weight worth of refurbished products were sold, all saved from potentially going to landfill, eBays says.
Matt Potter, eBay UK Senior Trading Manager, Electronics said: “Demand for refurbished products has been growing for some time, but we know that the main barrier for some consumers has been the perceived risk that comes with purchasing a refurbished item.
“Our Certified Refurbished hub is designed to bring peace of mind to customers, allowing them to secure the products they love, like new for less, and at the high quality they deserve.
“We’re really looking forward to working with our sellers and brands on this venture, allowing them to open up new revenue streams, maximise the margin on returns, and create a more sustainable supply chain, too.”
Electronics and homeware
One of the businesses that has benefitted from this trend is Velocity Commerce. Co-founded by PJ Scott and Eddie Latham and launched on eBay in 2013, Velocity Commerce is now an award-winning UK retailer, with a specialist 55-strong team that processes on average 3,000 orders per day.
PJ and Eddie’s business buys returned, end-of-line and refurbished products, which they sell on through their eBay platform. They’ve seen huge demand for their products, reaching £1m within just two years and now achieve yearly sales of around £40 million.
eBay’s Certified Refurbished hub is launching in two priority categories: electronics and homewares. E-waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world.
Products bought on Certified Refurbished will come with a 12-month guarantee, free delivery & 30 day returns policy, as well as great savings for consumers. eBay UK found that if every household in the UK purchased one refurbished item, the nation could save £1.56bn.
Ever since we started our business on eBay in 2013, we have seen consistent demand for the refurbished products we stock at Velocity Commerce
Over the next few months eBay is looking to continue to onboard more sellers and brands to Certified Refurbished and expand the categories available to the programme.
PJ Scott, Co-Founder of Velocity Commerce commented: “Ever since we started our business on eBay in 2013, we have seen consistent demand for the refurbished products we stock at Velocity Commerce. In particular our Nextbase dash cams have been a huge hit and Majority Soundbars have also proved popular.
“We’ve really seen this trend accelerate in the past two years and I’m certain it is set to continue, as customers have become more environmentally conscious, whilst still seeking the high quality brands they want at great prices.
“We buy our refurbished products straight from the manufacturers themselves, as well as refurbishing some goods in-house ourselves. Our team are specially trained to make sure that these products are refurbished to the highest quality and even receive training straight from the brands we sell.”