Irish consumers holding on to smartphones more than European peers – Swappie
Irish consumers are holding on to their mobile phones longer than their European peers, according to a study by refurbished marketplace Swappie.
While more than two-thirds (69%) of Irish consumers are keeping old phones at home versus the European average of just over half (51%). Some 15% of devices were reported as either sold or given away, and 9% were recycled.
The number of Irish customers selling their old phones to Swappie, however, rose by 11% year-on-year, reflective of growing confidence in secure and reliable sales process in the pre-loved market. Returning customers also grew by more than 9%, and average order value was up 5%, signalling a growing level of consumer trust in the refurbished electronics category.
Swappie passed a significant milestone in 2025, where it achieved achieved an operating profit of €2.5 million for the full year. This marks a significant turning point in its journey to build a viable, long-term business. While the company remained profitable across Europe, Swappie’s profit in Ireland grew more than 350% year-on-year.
“Reaching full-year EBITDA profitability is not just a financial milestone. It proves that circular business models can scale profitably,” said Jussi Lystimäki, CEO of Swappie. “Consumers are choosing refurbished when it’s affordable, trustworthy, and high quality. That’s exactly what we aim to deliver and we’ll continue expanding into new categories to meet that demand.”
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