Recommerce seals partnership with Carrefour Romania to distribute refurbished smartphones with 12-month warranty

Recommerce, a start-up specialized in second-hand smartphone refurbishment and trading, has entered into a strategic partnership with Carrefour Romania, the retailer’s clients thus having easy access to high-quality devices, available at a reduced cost and with a 12-month warranty. The refurbished smartphones of Recommerce Group are now on sale on Carrefour Romania’s online store, as well as in Băneasa, Orhideea (Bucharest), Botoșani, Brăila, Constanta, Târgu Jiu and Felicia (Iași) shops. Six refurbished Apple and Samsung models are currently on display in these stores. Distribution will be extended to other Carrefour shops across Romania in Q1 2022.

Recommerce Group, a European pioneer in the refurbishment of high-end products, particularly smartphones, has been present in Romania since the acquisition of Romanian start-up Fenix, a specialist in smartphone refurbishment, co-founded in April 2020 by Romania-based French entrepreneurs Grégoire Vigroux, Adrien Arnoux, and Hector Destailleur. Founded in 2009, Recommerce sells refurbished smartphones in 20 countries in Europe. The company is active in the B2C and B2B segments and provides repaired devices for consumers, companies, and administrations. In Romania, Recommerce sells over 20 models of refurbished smartphones, costing up to 50% less than new ones. Besides the refurbished handset itself, Recommerce phones come with new accessories, as well as a 12-month guarantee. With its presence in physical stores in Romania thanks to Carrefour’s large audience and client basis, Recommerce refurbished devices are even more accessible to customers, contributing to the spread of circular economy throughout Europe.

Vincent Arnault, Merchandise & Supply Chain Director Carrefour Romania, stated: “For us, as a company and as a team, it is of the utmost importance to always keep an eye on the future, anticipating consumers’ needs, and also on the sustainability of our plans. We are always glad to discover partners that share our vision and Recommerce comes with a great offer for our clients that wish for more eco-friendly or affordable choices in terms of smartphones. We have an entire green platform, focused on transforming plastic into a method of payment as part of the circular economy – Punem pret pe Plastic, and maintain this environmental approach in all business aspects – from offering selective bins for recycling in our stores to organic and eco-friendly packaging or supporting Rabla activations for electronic equipment. We believe in the continuous lives of products, either through reusing, recycling or refurbishing activities.”

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Entrepreneur Grégoire Vigroux added: “Since our launch in April 2021, our objective has been to become the leader of the refurbished smartphone market in Eastern Europe. Starting from Romania, we are targeting a market of around ten countries in the region, with annual smartphone sales of more than 50 million units. Joining forces with reputable and powerful retailers such as Carrefour, who share our passion for growth, as well as eco-friendly values, is the fastest way to become this regional leader.”

According to Apple, a 256 GB iPhone 12 would generate 85 kg of CO2, of which more than 70 kg is attributable to its manufacture alone. According to a study commissioned by the European Economic and Social Committee, manufacturing a new smartphone requires, on average, 44 kg of raw materials from 70 materials, for a finished product whose weight rarely exceeds 200 grams whereas a refurbished smartphone can save up to 30kg equivalent of CO2.