63% of Canadians Bought Refurbished Tech in the Past Year, Led by Eco-Conscious Gen Z

The Quick Take

• 63% of Canadians purchased refurbished, open-box, or traded-in technology in the past year per a new study
• Canadian Gen Z leads all generations in refurbished tech adoption, with 44% citing environmental impact as a purchasing factor
• The trend signals a structural shift in consumer electronics retail toward circular economy models across Canadian demographics

A new study revealing that 63% of Canadians bought refurbished, open-box, or traded-in technology in the past year represents a significant milestone in the mainstreaming of the secondary consumer electronics market. The data indicates that refurbished tech has moved well beyond its historical association with budget-conscious buyers into a broad demographic behavior, now spanning Gen Z, millennials, and older cohorts alike. For consumer electronics retailers, the implication is that the refurbished and trade-in segment must be treated as a primary revenue channel rather than a niche add-on.

Gen Z's leading adoption rate — with 44% citing environmental impact as a purchasing factor — signals that the circular economy model resonates most strongly with the consumer cohort that will define retail spending patterns for the next decade. This creates a dual competitive pressure on electronics manufacturers: not only must they compete on new-product features, but they must increasingly build out certified refurbishment programs and trade-in ecosystems to capture market share from third-party refurbishers. Retailers including Best Buy Canada, Apple Canada, and Telus are best positioned among incumbents to benefit from this structural shift.

Investors should watch for refurbishment segment disclosures in consumer electronics retail earnings, as companies with mature trade-in programs — Apple, Samsung, and major Canadian wireless carriers — will show outsized margin contribution from used device monetization. The trend also creates opportunities for dedicated refurbishment platforms and platforms like Back Market and Swappa to expand Canadian market penetration. Environmental, Social, and Governance investing frameworks increasingly reward companies building circular economy business models, providing a multiple premium for retailers that formalize their refurbishment programs.

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