Budget-conscious buyers in Europe are voting with their wallets as refurbished PC sales climb on shortages of key components, including memory chips.
Context numbers show sales of refurbished PCs via distribution rose seven per cent in calendar Q4 across Italy, the UK, Germany, Spain and France.
Context notes that the increase in second-hand trade is driven by affordability with about 40 per cent of sales coming from buyers in the €200 to €300 (£171 to £256) laptop bracket.
The €300 to €400 band (£256 to £341) is growing, accounting for 23 per cent of the refurbished market, up from 15 per cent a year earlier.
Context, environmental, social and governance specialist Jacky Chang said: “Our latest analysis shows second-life computing moving decisively into the mainstream, with the UK emerging as the fastest-growing market in Europe.”
In Britain, Context said sales volumes of refurbished devices effectively doubled in 2025, pushing it past Germany as the biggest market in Europe.
The optimistic tone sits next to wobblier forecasts for new devices, with prices already heading north and expected to keep climbing.
One reason is that memory chipmakers are pursuing higher-value parts for AI data centres, rather than the more ordinary components used in PCs, smartphones, and other everyday devices.
With supply constraints locked in and pricing pressure building in the primary market, refurbished gear appears to be the sensible option for people who just need a working laptop.
Chang said: “In a market with locked-in supply constraints, these can be an attractive solution for retailers and consumers looking for a solid workaround.”
Context points at EU right to repair legislation, due to arrive in July 2026, as a potential boost to the supply of repairable devices and spare parts across the region.
That should not shock PC vendors too much, because modular design has long been part of the Wintel world, even if laptop makers have been dragging their feet on repairability.
Phones are stuck in a similar bind, with a large global market for refurbished handsets, but recent reports flag weaker growth in Europe, the US, and Japan due to tight supply and softer export flows.
Supply is also constrained because fewer than a third of European consumers trade in or sell their old phones, keeping usable hardware out of the secondhand market.
Context suggests refurbished PCs are becoming a structural feature of Europe’s PC market, driven by price-conscious buyers who are becoming more sustainability-minded.
