Coolblue scales retail footprint while expanding repair and trade-in strategy

Coolblue closed 2025 with record revenue of € 2.56 billion across the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, reflecting 4.2% year on year growth. The e-commerce group reported EBITDA of € 86.5 million, a decline of 11.6% compared with the previous year, indicating margin pressure despite top line expansion. Customer satisfaction remained at its highest recorded level, with a Net Promoter Score of 72. The combination of revenue growth and declining EBITDA suggests continued investment in infrastructure, logistics and store expansion. For the secondary electronics ecosystem, this financial profile signals a retailer positioning itself for long term market share capture rather than short term profitability optimisation.

Store expansion accelerates

In 2025, Coolblue opened six new stores across its three core markets, bringing its total store count to 38. A further ten openings are scheduled for 2026, including new locations in Apeldoorn and Berlin. Earlier this week, the company opened another store near Brussels. The expansion of physical retail space is strategically relevant for repair, trade in and refurbished device flows. Brick and mortar locations increasingly function as intake hubs for used electronics, enabling structured collection, grading and reverse logistics. As more European retailers integrate recommerce into their omnichannel strategies, store networks become critical assets in capturing secondary market supply at scale.

Germany drives growth momentum

Germany was the fastest growing market in 2025. Coolblue opened three new stores and doubled its in house delivery and installation service by launching four new depots, including a Berlin facility inaugurated in December. The expanded logistics footprint enables the company to serve more than 40 million German residents with its proprietary delivery and installation network. This operational scale strengthens the company’s ability to manage large appliances and connected devices, categories increasingly linked to repair services and lifecycle extension. Growth in Germany was also driven by new customer acquisition and high repeat purchase rates, supported by strong satisfaction metrics. For 2026, management expects further acceleration as store openings and delivery coverage continue to expand.

Energy services complement circular ambitions

Coolblue Energie reached a record number of energy contracts in 2025, supported by the rollout of initiatives such as free washing and free drying. In 2026, the company plans to broaden access to these programmes and increase energy contract sales through its expanding store network. Although primarily positioned as a retail energy proposition, the integration of energy services aligns with broader sustainability narratives. Linking appliance sales, energy optimisation and in store advisory services creates opportunities to embed repair and maintenance conversations at the point of sale, reinforcing longer product lifecycles.

Repair and trade-in expansion

Looking ahead to 2026, founder and CEO Pieter Zwart confirmed that Coolblue will significantly expand its repair, trade in and recycling activities while broadening its product assortment. The company also plans to introduce a new store concept focused on improved product presentation and advisory content, alongside major website upgrades to simplify purchasing decisions. For the secondary mobile and consumer electronics market, this strategic shift is notable. As large omnichannel retailers integrate repair and trade in into their core operations, the distinction between primary and secondary channels continues to blur. Structured trade in programmes can increase the volume of used smartphones and other connected devices entering professional refurbishment streams, supporting higher grading standards and improved residual value management.

Secondary market maturity in Western Europe

The broader context underscores the maturation of the secondary market in western Europe. Major retail networks are increasingly formalising recommerce strategies. MediaMarkt recently reported sales of more than 200,000 used devices in the fourth quarter of 2025 alone, reinforcing the scale potential of organised secondary channels.

SecondaryMarket.news expects this trajectory to continue in 2026 as leading retailers invest in reverse logistics, in store collection and refurbishment partnerships. Coolblue’s expanding footprint, combined with its explicit commitment to repair and trade in growth, positions the company as an increasingly relevant actor within the European circular electronics economy. As revenue scales and sustainability commitments deepen, the integration of recommerce into mainstream retail operations signals a structural shift rather than a peripheral initiative.