UK shoppers opt for 'like new' over brand new since pandemic

Latest lockdown trend from eBay UK reveals the nation is looking to shop more consciously,  with one refurbished item selling every 14 seconds on the online marketplace in the last year.* 

Shoppers are looking for ‘like-new for less’ items and the quest to create the ultimate work from home or homeschooling setup caused refurbished laptops to click up 75% more searches, whilst refurbished coffee machines brewed up over a third (35%) more searches and refurbished chairs seated 48% more searches.

In response to the growing demand and to help shoppers save money and purchase refurbished items confidently, eBay UK has today launched its new Certified Refurbished Hub.

eBay’s Certified Refurbished Hub hosts high quality refurbished items from over 70 household brands including Dyson, Go Pro and Panasonic and includes tech, home & garden and hair and beauty appliances.  

These items are in a pristine, like-new condition and are inspected, cleaned and refurbished by either the manufacturer itself, or a manufacturer-approved seller.  For added peace of mind, Certified Refurbished items also come with a 12 month guarantee and are protected by eBay’s Money Back Guarantee which means consumers can shop with confidence and save money.  

With an average saving of up to 30% off original retail price, eBay UK has revealed that if every household in the UK purchased one refurbished tech item or home appliance instead of new, the nation could save £1.56bn.** 

Shopping refurbished products also has a positive impact on the environment with items being redirected from landfill and given a new lease on life. In the last year alone, 438 double decker buses in weight worth of refurbished products were sold. The total weight of refurbished printers sold in the past year is equal to that of 4 blue whales and the total length of all refurbished hoovers sold in 2020 on eBay UK amounts nearly 60 miles, the same distance from London to Oxford - all saved from going to landfill***. 

Matt Potter, Head of Certified Refurbished at eBay UK said:“ The demand for refurbished items has soared in the last year as it is a more affordable way to shop ‘like-new’ items from top brands without the heavy price tag. 

“When people think of refurb they tend to think of tech items first but there is so much more. We have everything from Dyson hair dryers, Simba mattresses and top of the range vacuums from the likes of Shark. Why pay more if you can get the same item, approved from the manufacturer for less?”

35 year old, James kitted out his home working space entirely with refurbished products, saving £1.5k.  He said; “When it comes to shopping, I always opt for refurbished products over new, as thanks to the low prices I can buy much higher spec products. Over lockdown I kitted out my home working space with some amazing brands including HP, Samsung and Sony, whilst saving a huge £1.5K in the process."

So What is Certified Refurbished?

This is what the lifecycle of a Certified Refurbished product looks like, from being bought as brand new, to being sold as like-new. 

1. Customer buys a brand new product

1. Product is returned with little or no damage

2. Product is expertly restored and vetted to work like-new

3. Product is packaged in original or new packaging with accessories and new manuals 

4. Product is sold as Certified Refurbished on eBay’s Certified Refurbished Hub with a 12 month warranty and protected by eBay Money Back Guarantee 

Home to a host of high-quality brands including Apple, Shark and Russell Hobbs, eBay’s Certified Refurbished Hub boasts a range of popular products at great low prices: