Holiday shopping for refurbished tech? Test and buy it from Back Market's store - but hurry

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Refurbished tech marketplace Back Market's US store closes soon.
• Consumers tin trial and bargain utilized devices for important savings. 
• Back Market aims to found a circular tech economy. 

Curious astir refurbished tech, but unsure wherever to start? Shoppers successful New York City tin see, touch, and trial it earlier buying -- but lone for 1 much week.

Online refurbished tech marketplace Back Market offers buyers who privation to prevention wealth connected electronics (and trim e-waste) good-as-new products repaired by experts. In October, the institution opened its first-ever brick-and-mortar store successful NYC's Soho neighborhood, wherever buyers tin store for secondhand phones and laptops successful idiosyncratic -- conscionable similar astatine an Apple Store. 

Also: Save connected refurbished iPhones astatine Back Market - nary trade-in required

The company's aviator store, unfastened until December 21, offers last-minute shoppers a accidental to prevention connected refurbished tech gifts arsenic the vacation play draws to a close. 

"When radical acquisition refurbished tech successful person, they spot the quality, the savings, and the imaginable to unrecorded smarter," Back Market CEO Thibaud Hug de Larauze said successful a merchandise erstwhile the store opened. "We judge this aviator tin spark existent spot and momentum for a much sustainable mode forward."

Many used-tech retailers, specified arsenic Gazelle oregon Best Buy's outlet, beryllium chiefly online (though the second does person immoderate refurbished tech in-store). Without an in-person experience, immoderate caller to pre-loved laptops, phones, and much whitethorn consciousness unsure astir what they're getting and whether it's legitimate. 

Also: The 5 astir innovative tech products we tested this twelvemonth (including a tri-fold surprise)

Local shops that bargain backmost and repair tech are independent, and truthful tin alteration wide successful presumption of standards and certifications. Being capable to interact with and trial a refurbished instrumentality earlier committing mightiness assistance to adjacent the user spot spread and summation the already increasing request for repaired technology. 

Back Market's NYC storefront. 

Back Market

Sustainability - and outgo savings 

The store is portion of Back Market's larger ngo to found a circular system successful user tech and combat the user tech industry's changeless unit to upgrade. Back Market's goal, it said, is to "make sustainability practical, rewarding, and casual to enactment on." 

Also: Is a refurbished MacBook viable successful 2025? I did the math, and here's my adept advice

The biggest perk for consumers, however, is price. Refurbished tech tin beryllium up to 70% cheaper than caller devices; astatine the clip of writing, an iPhone 15 Plus, usually $729, goes for $443 at Black Market -- already $50 cheaper than it was connected the tract conscionable 2 months ago. That's earlier you commercialized successful an aged device, which further reduces the price. Yes, you tin acquisition a refurbished iPhone 15 Plus from Apple, but it volition still outgo $619. 

"As inflation, tariffs, and rising tech prices marque shoppers progressively cost-conscious, refurbished tech offers a smarter way forward," Back Market said successful the release. In April, during the archetypal question of the Trump administration's tariff panic and speculation astir the interaction connected device prices, Hug de Larauze told maine the institution saw a threefold uptick successful demand.

Lauren Benton, Back Market's US wide manager, noted that the store aims to thrust involvement among US buyers, lone 5% of whom bargain utilized tech.

Also: Tariff-proof tech? Back Market's refurbished devices support prices down

"In Europe, refurbished tech is already a $50 cardinal market, and the aforesaid displacement is underway successful the US," she said successful the release. "We spot younger consumers starring the charge, with 60% of Gen Z trying refurbished for the archetypal time."

In-store, Back Market besides offers visitors an interactive situation to archer caller and refurbished tech apart, grading that breaks down the wherefore down the outgo of each refurbished device, cleaning and repair services, and trade-in enactment that "highlight[s] the ongoing worth of what radical already own." The store besides offers Google Fi Wireless plans.

Visit the store

Back Market's aviator store is present unfastened astatine 449 Broadway successful Manhattan, and volition beryllium unfastened until December 21. Learn more here. 

If you're not successful NYC oregon privation different accidental to spot refurbished tech for yourself, the Soho store whitethorn not beryllium permanent, but much pop-ups are connected the mode crossed the US. 

Also: Should you bargain a refurbished iPad successful 2025? I did the mathematics truthful you don't person to

"We privation to recognize however radical shop, what questions they ask, and what excites them astir refurbished tech," Benton told ZDNET. "While we're excited astir the effect we've seen successful New York, we're already exploring different markets -- you'll beryllium seeing america successful Chicago precise soon."