Wish Unveils Trade-In Program as Consumers Embrace Resale

Mobile eCommerce platform Wish has launched a new trade-in program for old technology.

Beginning next month, customers in certain parts of Europe can trade in devices such as smartphones, laptops and tablets in return for cash, the company announced in a Monday (Feb. 26) press release.

“Wish Trade-In” is being launched in connection with European refurbished goods provider Remarketed, which will give customers an instant estimated trade-in valuation based on the age and condition of their device.

From there, customers send in their devices for free. Once it’s been received and verified, payment will be processed. A select portion of the refurbished devices will then be sold on the Wish platform, the release said. The program will launch in The Netherlands before being rolled out to additional markets.

“We are delighted to be able to offer a trade-in service to our customers. As well as putting cash back into the hands of our customers, it significantly reduces e-waste by extending a product’s life,” Wish Director of Business Development Alan Small said in the announcement.

“The launch of our trade-in service complements our recently expanded range of refurbished electronics which allows customers to benefit from new technologies at a fraction of the price.”

The program is launching at a moment when cost-conscious consumers are turning to more budget-friendly retailers, which has led to a “notable uptick in the popularity of secondhand alternatives as a cost-effective solution,” as PYMNTS wrote last month.

According to findings detailed in PYMNTS Intelligence’s “Persistent Inflation Rekindles Consumer’s Interest in Secondhand Markets,” more than 40% of consumers purchased a secondhand product in 2023.

And as noted here earlier this month, those products come from a wide range of categories, including printers, with Epson recently debuting the “Epson Certified ReNew” program, which sells quality-checked refurbished products via the brand’s site.

As that report notes, “if consumers are already buying their products secondhand, brands may as well capture the sale and own the transaction data.”

For instance, New Balance recently announced its new “Reconsidered” resale hub, enabling consumers to trade in pre-owned shoes for vouchers, while Amazon has teamed with luxury resale website Hardly Ever Worn It, which is launching a storefront at Amazon in Europe.

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