Gen Z leads the way on buying refurbished devices

Berlin, 10 September 2025

Europe’s Generation Z is leading the drive towards purchasing refurbished devices and having their smartphones repaired, a new Vodafone Institute study has found.

The study - 'Refurbished over New: A Second Chance for Smartphones' - was conducted by Kantar with scientific support from the Wuppertal Institute. More than 5,200 people across five European countries - Germany, France, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom – were interviewed.

Although two-thirds are aware of offers for refurbished devices, only 30% have ever purchased one.

Encouragingly, 40% of those surveyed plan to buy their next smartphone refurbished. And once people choose refurbished, they usually stick with it – 81% of previous buyers plan to purchase refurbished devices again.

Refurbished on the rise: Gen Z and France lead the shift

• Young, digital, refurbished: 37% of Gen Z have bought a refurbished smartphone, compared to just 18% of Baby Boomers.
• Country comparison reveals differences: In France, 38% of people have already purchased a refurbished smartphone, while in Germany it is only 25%. Willingness to buy in the future varies by more than 10 percentage points across countries.
  
  

From repair to reform: Europe’s shifting smartphone habits

• Repair behaviour divided: While 33% of Gen Z have already had their current smartphone repaired, only 8% of baby boomers have done so. 27% of Spanish smartphone users have had their device repaired, compared to just 14% in Germany.
• Unused devices still hoarded: 51% of users keep their old smartphone after purchasing a new one, either unused or as a backup. Only 8% of these devices are recycled or traded in.
• Consumers support sustainable consumption: Encouragingly Europeans support measures for sustainable consumption, such as the right to repair, repair bonuses, product passports, and reduced VAT for sustainable products.