A few weeks ago, Secondarymarket.news reported the remarkable rise of Refurbed and Back Market in Germany based on a survey from ECDB. These specialised refurbished electronics marketplaces are gaining ground fast, now outperforming traditional electronics retailers like MediaMarkt, Saturn, Otto and Kaufland in marketplace visibility and growth. According to new figures from ECDB, Amazon remains Germany’s leading online marketplace for electronics. Media Markt holds second place, followed by eBay. Further down the ranking, Refurbed and Back Market are edging closer to the top 10, already surpassing Kaufland in performance.
Refurbed grows faster than Back Market
Refurbed posted an impressive 15.8% year-on-year growth in Germany, overtaking Back Market’s 9.8%. Yet Back Market still led in overall GMV, reaching € 280 million in 2024, compared to Refurbed’s €232 million. These figures reflect not just growth, but sustained consumer trust in specialised refurbished platforms.
Saturn suffers from brand confusion
Meanwhile, Saturn—Media Markt’s sister brand under Ceconomy AG—continues to lose ground. Despite a respectable GMV of €631 million in 2024, Saturn saw a steep decline of -10.4%. Analysts point to its nearly identical business model to Media Markt as a core issue. With little to distinguish the two, consumers tend to favour the more recognisable brand.
Why consumers prefer specialist marketplaces
The consumer journey may be the key to understanding why refurbished specialists are thriving. Buying from traditional marketplaces typically suggests a new, pristine device in polished retail packaging. However, refurbished products often arrive in plain brown boxes, without manuals or safety instructions, as Secondarymarket.news recently experienced in a test order.
Refurbed and Back Market offer trust
That difference in expectation is crucial. Consumers buying refurbished don’t necessarily want the ‘new device’ experience—they want confidence, transparency, and specialist knowledge. This is something Refurbed and Back Market offer better than generalist platforms, and likely a reason why they continue to grow.
More than just a passing trend
Outside of the used car market, it’s rare for specialist platforms to outgrow generalist ones. Yet, Refurbed and Back Market are defying that norm. Their rise in Germany reflects a broader shift in consumer behaviour—one that is unlikely to reverse anytime soon.
Market
Trade-in
Repair
Refurbishing
