Music Magpie joins forces with Timpson to offer high street mobile trade-ins
Music Magpie has struck a deal with retailer Timpson to allow customers to trade in their old smartphones across its stores nationwide.
AO World, which bought Music Magpie in December 2024, said the tie-up would offer a โfaster and more convenient wayโ for people to trade-in phones.
It follows a four-month trial that has seen the service available in more than 1,300 Timpson stores and will add to its existing offering, spanning shoe repairs and key cutting to dry cleaning.
Customers can hand over their phone in-store and have it assessed while they wait, with funds transferred โwithin minutesโ.
John Roberts, chief executive and founder of AO World, said: โWe know that apathy is the biggest barrier to trading in old tech, and the ability to โTake it to Timpsonโ now makes it a no-brainer for customers who can get cash in only a few minutes for their old smartphone at over 1,300 Timpson sites.
โBy combining Music Magpieโs refurbishment expertise with Timpsonโs trusted nationwide network, weโre helping customers unlock the value in their old tech instantly, while keeping more devices in use and making them more affordable for every pocket.โ
Figures from a recent Censuswide survey suggest the total value of unused smartphones across the UK is estimated at around ยฃ10 billion, according to AO World.
The poll, which surveyed 2,000 adults at the end of last November, found nearly three quarters (73%) of adults have at least one unused smartphone at home with an average trade-in value of about ยฃ250.
Steve Oliver, managing director and co-founder of Music Magpie, said: โAdding Magpie to 1,300 Timpson stores across the UK is a huge milestone for us and will take our reach and convenience for customers far beyond anything weโve tried before.
โThis partnership means that most people in the UK are now just minutes from turning their unused tech into hundreds of pounds of instant cash.โ
Stockport-based Music Magpie buys and sells refurbished electronics and used computer games, consoles, books, films and music.
