Three in four UK shoppers want to trade-in, but only 46% were offered it at their last purchase, according to new research by circular technology company Alchemy.

The study was conducted for Alchemy by FDM CCS Insight across 11,217 consumers in the UK, US, Germany and Poland. It shows that running a trade-in programme is not enough on its own - it needs to be accessible and worthwhile.

For 74% of those surveyed, a competitive trade-in value would make them more likely to choose a higher-end product than they had planned, and the same proportion (74%) would upgrade sooner if their preferred brand offered good trade-in value, with laptops seeing the largest pull forward, at around seven months earlier on average.

63% would be more likely to add accessories, warranties or other items to their basket. Beauty and personal care consumers are 1.4 times more likely than smartphone owners to do so, pointing to real cross-sell potential in categories where trade-in is less established.

The benefits also extend to how consumers see the brand itself. Three quarters observe that offering trade-in improves their perception of a brand, with affordability the leading reason: 51% of them state it makes upgrading feel more affordable.

Eight in ten UK consumers agree that trading in is a smart way to get value back from old products, and upgrading to a better model is the single most common reason people trade in (26%). When asked what would make it easier to buy or upgrade to a more premium product, a trade-in discount comes out well ahead (45%) of paying monthly (26%) or subscription options (20%).

35% of UK consumers say the value offered is the main factor shaping whether they trade in, 22% want values to be presented more clearly, and 20% say they would benefit from greater awareness that older products still hold value.

Additionally, certainty and transparency in trade-in programmes build confidence. 73% say a guaranteed price lock after an online quote would increase their trust and 71% want the ability to return a product if the final valuation differs from the estimate.

Stephen Wise, Director Global Marketing at Alchemy, says: "Trade-in has moved well beyond a sustainability initiative or a way to reduce the cost of a new device. It is now one of the clearest signals of how competitive a brand's overall proposition is and consumers are telling us they are prepared to choose, and stay with, the brands that get it right."

"The research is a strong vote of confidence in trade-in. The brands that pair competitive value with certainty, transparency and choice will be the ones that win new customers, deepen loyalty, bring upgrades forward and recover more devices for a second life."

2026 RTIH Innovation Awards

Green retail was a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.

Check out our winners here.

The awards celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world. Our winners were revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.

The event consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, awards ceremony presided over by award winning stand-up comedian, presenter, actor and broadcaster, Aurie Styla, and after party until 1am.