Bol, the online subsidiary of Ahold Delhaize in the Benelux, is expanding its range to include refurbished smartphones, tablets, laptops and smartwatches. More product categories will follow, the retailer says.
Two-year warranty
With this new product group, which is sold from today, the shop wants to make it easier for consumers to choose a more sustainable alternative. At the same time, the company is taking more and more concrete steps in its sustainability ambitions. Worldwide, more than fifty million tonnes of electronic waste are produced every year, Bol says, and fewer new ones need to be produced if people would be reusing devices more often.
To guarantee the quality of its products, the retailer will work with four sales partners that comply with Techniek Nederland’s Refurbished Quality Mark: Fixje, Forza, Leapp and Renewd. All devices offered are checked on more than fifty aspects and, where necessary, parts are replaced and repaired. As with a new item, consumers receive a two-year warranty when purchasing a refurbished device.
Growing demand
Demand for refurbished is growing: according to a report by Cross Border Commerce Europe, by 2025, one in ten of all consumer electronics bought online worldwide will be refurbished. By 2030, one in six smartphones will be refurbished.
Bol therefore plans to expand this offering to other refurbished products later on. “In an ideal world, we will soon offer a refurbished option for all kinds of product categories. We will test and learn: I so imagine that soon we will be able to offer game consoles, electronic kitchen and household appliances and eventually also refurbished prams, always with a thorough quality check”, Chief E-commerce Officer Oscar Hundman stated.
