Amazon’s Renewed Platform Shutdown

Amazon has announced the closure of its refurbished platform, known as Renewed, attributing this decision to escalating challenges. Sellers were informed through email about the immediate halt of the service.

Startup Superb has obtained a copy of the email detailing this announcement. The message highlighted, “We have made the decision to discontinue selling external refurbished products on Renewed due to high returns/rejects and the Contacts per unit impacting customer experience. Please stop inbounding any inventory to FCs and scheduling pickups from your SF location starting 7th March 2025. We understand this may be disappointing and would like to thank you for your partnership,” as stated in the communication to sellers.

Overview of Amazon Renewed

Launched in 2017, Amazon Renewed provided a platform for customers to purchase refurbished, pre-owned, and open-box products, all of which were meticulously inspected and tested to guarantee they functioned and appeared like new. The platform offered a diverse range of items, including smartphones, laptops, tablets, cameras, and home appliances.

Impact on Newjaisa

In the meantime, Newjaisa, a publicly traded company that previously operated on Amazon, has alerted the NSE that the closure will have short-term implications for them. However, Newjaisa is proactively working with other retailers to lessen the impact.

Sources indicate that over 50% of Newjaisa’s revenue was derived from Amazon Renewed.

Startup Superb has attempted to reach out to Amazon for further comments regarding this matter.

Competitors in the Refurbished Market

Amazon Renewed directly competed with Yaantra, which was acquired by the rival Flipkart for an undisclosed amount in January 2022. It’s important to mention that Amazon has also collaborated with and invested in Cashify, a notable Indian re-commerce platform that focuses on the buying and selling of used electronic devices. With the discontinuation of Amazon Renewed, the refurbished electronics market is now primarily contested by these two significant players.