• Installed since 2017 in the industrial zone of Le Broc, a few kilometers from Nice (Alpes-Maritimes), Reborn claims to be the French leader in phone refurbishment.
  • In 2022, the company has already put back into circulation 580,000 second-hand products, including 380,000 smartphones, mainly Apple and Samsung.
  • By 2025, Reborn wants to open a new production site of 7,200 m2 and the one that opened its doors at 20 Minutes hopes to triple its production and conquer Europe.

Inside several crates, a whole batch of iPhone 12, protected in small plastic envelopes, is still waiting to pass through Michel's hands. On this technician's desk, six other smartphones are already being tested. "We control everything, the screen, the speakers or the connectivity," explains this Reborn employee. Installed since 2017 in the industrial zone of Le Broc, a few kilometers from Nice (Alpes-Maritimes), this hitherto very discreet company is nevertheless the French leader in the reconditioning of phones. And if it has now decided to open its doors to 20 Minutes, it is because it is full of ambition in a very dynamic market, still boosted by inflation.

"By 2025, we will open a new production site of 7,200 m2, in addition to our current facilities of 6,000 m2," says Roger‐David Lellouche, the company's CEO. This subsidiary of DPA Europe has already been exporting to Portugal, Spain and Switzerland for two years, but intends to go much (much) further. "The objective is to triple our production by 2026, to become the European leader with 1.5 million high-tech products" refurbished, continues the manager.

A market up against that of new, which is falling

Last year, Reborn, which employs a hundred people at its production site and could hire up to 200 more with its expansion project, was already putting 580,000 second-hand products back on the market. Including 380,000 smartphones, mainly Apple and Samsung, distributed via Cdiscount, Amazon, Boulanger and the Fnac-Darty network in particular.


This parallel market is attracting more and more customers while the price of new phones continues to rise. In 2022, 3.2 million of these used devices were sold in France, 8% more than in 2021 (+11.5% worldwide) and 21% of the total volume of smartphones purchased, according to several studies. Conversely, global sales of new equipment were down 11% over the same twelve months.

The enthusiasm around this circular economy finds its explanations in the ecology that worries more and more consumers, according to other surveys. "How much waste saved? How much CO2 saved? It's colossal," boasts Roger‐David Lellouche. But if these products make so many new followers, it is also and above all because they are obviously cheaper (between -15% less for the most recent models and up to -70% for the oldest) than the new, while being as efficient, ensures the manager. "A product must pass 54 checkpoints to be repackaged and shipped to our customers," says the CEO. The main risk is around the battery, on the number of charge cycles which should not be too important. If not, we change it. We also focus particularly on the screen. It must be checked that there is no micro-crack or inoperative pixel. And we offer a one-year warranty. »

Coming in particular from the USA

60% of Reborn's stock of second-hand products comes from the U.S. market. "It's largely directly from Apple that sells them to us," via its Apple Trade In program, says one behind the scenes of the company. Across the Atlantic, it also buys from operators where the practice of leasing, rental with option to buy, is widespread for smartphones. Of the remaining 40%, 20% comes from other sources of supply in Europe and 20% from Asia.

Well-locked sectors that should allow the company to support its development. "All the analyses lead us to conclude that the refurbished market will continue to grow significantly in the coming years," concludes Roger‐David Lellouche.

  • Tech
  • Nice
  • Alpes-Maritimes
  • Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
  • PACA
  • Smartphone
  • Telephony
  • Telephone
  • circular economy
  • Society
  • Economy