Refurbished Smartphones Gain Traction Amidst Rising Prices: Mercari’s “m department” Unveils Initial Performance Data

“m department” Refurbished Smartphone Popularity Ranking

In July 2026, Mercari launched “m department,” a service offering professionally quality-assured refurbished products. This initiative addresses consumer concerns about the quality of pre-owned items while providing a more affordable option in an era of rising prices. The service ensures quality through expert refurbishment and authenticity checks, backed by a comprehensive warranty system.

Since its launch, the most frequently purchased refurbished smartphone model on “m department” has been the iPhone SE (3rd generation), with an average selling price of 29,306 JPY. The iPhone 13 (44,531 JPY) and iPhone 12 (32,432 JPY) followed, securing the second and third positions, respectively. While iPhones dominated the top spots, Android devices such as the Pixel 8a and Pixel 7a also appeared in the top 10. The price range for these popular models typically falls between 10,000 JPY and 50,000 JPY, with nine out of ten models priced under 50,000 JPY. This indicates a strong preference for models released a few years prior, offering good value for money.

Initial Performance of “m department” Refurbished Smartphones

“m department” has focused on selling refurbished smartphones since its inception. As of August 18, 2026, the service handles approximately 150 models and 30,000 units. “Professionally guaranteed reused products” are globally recognized as a “third market,” complementing new and used goods. “m department” aims to accelerate the growth of this market in Japan. Given the continuous rise in new smartphone prices, refurbished smartphones from “m department” are positioned as a smart and high-quality shopping alternative.

“m department” Attracts New Users to the Reuse Market

Analysis of “m department” purchasers reveals that 84.5% were either first-time buyers of smartphones, tablets, PCs, or cameras/lenses on Mercari (67.6%) or had not made such purchases in over a year (16.9%). This suggests that the quality assurance, comprehensive warranty, and return policies offered by “m department” are successfully tapping into new demand within the reuse market.

Special Feature on “m department” Certified Refurbished Smartphones

In conjunction with the new iPhone announcement, “m department” is launching a special feature page dedicated to certified refurbished smartphones. This page will enable users to easily select products based on criteria such as condition, battery level, price, and model newness. The feature will also include “TIME SALE” events from certified shops.

• Feature page URL: https://campaign.jp.mercari.com/pages/mdepa_smartphone/index.html

Additionally, to commemorate the service launch on July 14, 2026, a welcome coupon campaign is ongoing until September 30, 2026. This coupon offers 30% off eligible purchases on “m department” (with a maximum discount of 10,000 JPY and certain conditions). The coupon can be obtained from the special feature page or the campaign page.

• Coupon campaign page URL: https://campaign.jp.mercari.com/pages/mdepa_welcome_cpn_202607/index.html

Practical Cost Savings: Purchasing Refurbished iPhones with Mercari Proceeds

One of the advantages of “m department” is the ability to use Mercari sales proceeds for purchases. A simulation illustrates the potential savings: if a user sells a smartphone on Mercari and uses the proceeds to purchase a refurbished iPhone 17 (average selling price 125,825 JPY) on “m department,” the actual out-of-pocket expense can be significantly reduced. For example, by selling an iPhone 13 Pro (average transaction price 51,176 JPY) on Mercari, the effective cost for a refurbished iPhone 17 would be 74,649 JPY. This represents a saving of approximately 68,000 JPY compared to the new iPhone 17’s price of 142,800 JPY (as of August 2026).

The following table outlines models based on their selling speed on Mercari and the corresponding effective cost when purchasing a refurbished iPhone 17:

Note: The selling speed on Mercari is based on data for items listed in September 2025. Mercari average transaction prices are aggregated from transactions completed between August 1, 2025, and July 31, 2026. The effective cost is a calculation based on subtracting the Mercari average transaction price from the “m department” average selling price of the iPhone 17 (125,825 JPY). This is a simulation and does not guarantee specific selling prices, nor does it include sales fees or shipping costs.