Inside several boxes, a whole batch of iPhone 12, protected in small plastic envelopes, is still waiting to pass through Michel’s hands. On the desk of this technician, six other smartphones are already on the test bench. “We control everything, the screen, the speakers or even the connectors, explains this Reborn employee. Established since 2017 in the Broc industrial zone, a few kilometers from Nice (Alpes-Maritimes), this hitherto very discreet company is nevertheless the claimed French leader in the reconditioning of telephones. And if today it has decided to open its doors to 20 minutesis that it is full of ambition in a very dynamic market, still boosted by inflation.
“By 2025, we will open a new production site of 7,200 m2, in addition to our current facilities of 6,000 m2”, announces Roger-David Lellouche, CEO of the company. This subsidiary of DPA Europe has already been exporting to Portugal, Spain and Switzerland for two years, but intends to go much (much) further. “The objective is to triple our production by 2026, to become the European leader with 1.5 million high-tech products” refurbished, continues the manager.
A rising market compared to the new market, which is falling
Last year, Reborn, which employs a hundred people at its production site and could hire up to 200 more with its expansion project, was already putting 580,000 second-hand products back into circulation. Including 380,000 smartphones, mainly Apple and Samsung brands, distributed via the Cdiscount, Amazon, Boulanger and Fnac-Darty network in particular.
This parallel market is attracting more and more customers as the price of new telephones continues to rise. In 2022, 3.2 million of these second-hand devices sold in France, i.e. 8% more than in 2021 (+11.5% worldwide) and 21% of the total volume of smartphones purchased, according to several studies. Conversely, global sales of new equipment fell by 11% over the same twelve months.
The enthusiasm around this circular economy finds its explanations in the ecology which concerns more and more consumers, according to other surveys. “How much waste saved? How much CO2 saved? It’s colossal”, boasts Roger‐David Lellouche. But if these products have so many new followers, it is also and above all because they are obviously less expensive (between -15% less for the most recent models and up to -70% for the oldest) than the nine, while being as efficient, assures the manager. “A product must pass 54 checkpoints in order to be repackaged and shipped to our customers,” recalls the CEO. The main risk is around the battery, on the number of charge cycles which should not be too high. Otherwise, we change it. We also focus particularly on the screen. It is necessary to check that there are no micro-cracks or inoperative pixels. And we provide one year warranty. »
Especially from the USA
60% of Reborn’s used stock is sourced from the US market. “It is largely directly from Apple that sells them to us”, via its Apple Trade In program, we explain behind the scenes of the company. Across the Atlantic, it also buys from operators where the practice of leasing, rental with option to buy, is very widespread for smartphones. Of the remaining 40%, 20% comes from other sources of supply in Europe and 20% from Asia.
Well-locked sectors that should allow the company to support its development. “All the analyzes lead us to conclude that the refurbished market will continue to grow significantly in the years to come,” concludes Roger-David Lellouche.