The price-volume relationship for new and remanufactured smartphones

Despite the rapid expansion of secondary markets for remanufactured electronic goods, the understanding of their empirical dynamics such as the price-volume relationship is still rather limited. In this study, we investigate such dynamics over time for new, manufacturer- and seller-refurbished smartphones using data from eBay UK and eBay US. We find significant negative relationships between price and volume for new smartphones indicating that the profit potential of such markets for sellers is limited. We show, instead, that the price-volume relationships for remanufactured smartphones are positive and significant – suggesting that the secondary markets for such items are potentially highly profitable. Overall, our empirical results suggest that the UK markets have higher profit potential than their US counterparts. The proposed analysis is a further step toward a better understanding of the price dynamics of new and remanufactured smartphones – and it enables both manufacturers and OEMs to better evaluate the profit potential of one of the fastest growing segments of consumer electronic goods.