The over 50s rule the roost on Galaxus’s resale platform

Tobias Heller

6.1.2026

Translation: Katherine Martin

The Swiss population sells more products secondhand than any other country in Europe. Listings on the Galaxus resale platform are dominated by IT and electronics products, with customers over 50 most likely to be selling the goods. In fact, people from this age bracket account for about half of all listings.

If you’re buying something new, you’ll also need to get rid of something old. Assuming you don’t want to run out of space at home, that is. In Switzerland, people have become pretty adept at shifting their unwanted items. According to research carried out by DPD (in German), consumers in Switzerland are the most likely in Europe to resell products still in working order.

The secondhand selling trend has also hit Galaxus. Ever since the online retailer launched its resale platform in 2017, customers have been able to buy and sell products on the same website – conveniently and risk-free. In the last five years, sales generated on the platform have almost doubled, with growth forecast to be in the double digits in 2025.

Two thirds of all listings fall into the IT + Multimedia category. «Smartphones, monitors, camera lenses, notebooks and smartwatches are the products that most often get a second lease of life,» says Clara Goebel, the Product Owner responsible for Galaxus’s resale platform. «If you’re not fussed about buying the latest model of a gadget, you’ll find ones suitable for everyday use at reasonable prices on the resale platform.» Resale prices in these product categories tend to be more than a third cheaper the most recent Galaxus selling price.

The top non-IT product among the best-selling secondhand items is Lego, in eighth place. If you’re on the hunt for these iconic Danish building blocks, you’ll typically find them for around 26 per cent cheaper than those listed new.

Other products don’t go down in price all that much. Fly screens, for instance, have only been sold for five per cent cheaper on the resale platform in the last two years. Water filters, motion detectors and espresso makers all retain their value pretty well too.

Products that have featured on the resale platform at least 25 times in the last two years were included in the analysis.

There’s a more significant gender gap when you look at the data on buyers. Men make 70 per cent of resale purchases, with women accounting for 30 per cent of resale orders. Secondhand buyers are also more diverse in terms of age than sellers. The 50-plus and 30–40 age brackets each make up for just under 30 per cent of resale purchases.

The key facts on the Galaxus resale platform

• Transparency: Only products purchased on Galaxus can be resold on the platform. This way, buyers always know exactly what they’re getting.
• Price recommendation: Past price data helps sellers set realistic prices. This increases their chances of making a sale.
• Discount: On average, buyers save 33 per cent compared to the most recent Galaxus selling price.
• Effectiveness: Relevance algorithms and smart touchpoints mean the right products are quickly shown to the right buyers.
• Security: Shipping and delivery confirmation is done with a pre-franked, pre-written label. Payments are conducted via Galaxus, and are handled in the same way as typical Galaxus purchases.

Do you prefer using the Galaxus resale platform for buying or selling? Which products do you like buying secondhand? Which ones would you only ever buy new? We’re looking forward to reading your comments.

Tobias Heller

Communications Manager

Tobias.Heller@digitecgalaxus.ch

---

Behind the scenes

News about features in our shop, information from marketing and logistics, and much more.

Show all

These articles might also interest you