POPUP
In a nutshell
A compact, market‑style lab for “slow tech”, this SoHo pop‑up turns refurbished devices, repairs and education into the hero, challenging the upgrade treadmill a few doors down from fast fashion. This is Backmarket's first physical location - a 1500 square foot, three-month pilot to 'mainstream' circular electronics.
In their words
Brand Background
Founded in Paris in 2014 by Thibaud Hug de Larauze, Vianney Vaute and Quentin Le Brouster, Back Market built a marketplace for verified refurbished electronics, positioning itself as an antidote to “fast tech” by giving professionally renewed devices a second life with warranties and clear grading. Over the past decade, the company has expanded to 17 markets, raised more than USD 1 billion in funding, and facilitated the sale of over 30 million devices globally. It argues that extending device lifespans is one of the most impactful levers for reducing tech’s environmental footprint.
Reports from Retail Week and Trellis note that the global refurbished tech market is forecast to reach more than USD 400 billion by 2034, with Gen Z over‑indexing as first‑time refurbished buyers.
The Broadway store, which opened 1 October 2025 and runs through 21 December 2025, is Back Market’s first permanent‑style physical presence and is explicitly framed as a pilot. Located at 449 Broadway in SoHo, the 1,500‑square‑foot space was designed in partnership with New York creative agency Mythology, known for Glossier and Everlane, to feel more like a vibrant street market than a conventional tech shop.
Retail TouchPoints describes the concept as Back Market’s “latest salvo in its war against fast tech”: a temporary store, but one built with a full programme of services and events rather than a simple product showroom.
Visit Field notes
Inside, the layout is organised around three pillars:
- hands‑on product
- care and repair
- education and community.
Visitors can handle refurbished smartphones, laptops, tablets, gaming consoles, headphones and small appliances, all priced 30 to 70 per cent below new equivalents, with a large digital display pulling live pricing and grading data from Back Market’s marketplace to demonstrate transparency and dynamic pricing. A service counter offers repairs, “tech spa” cleaning, health checks and trade‑in assistance, underscoring the message that existing devices can be kept in circulation rather than replaced.
The back of the store is dedicated to education: videos, infographics and a curated book wall explain e‑waste impacts, circular‑economy principles and how Back Market’s grading system works, alongside an interactive “new vs refurbished” challenge that invites customers to guess which device is which.
Programming is a key component. NYC Plugged and Average Socialite lists a rolling calendar of events, from upcycled-accessory workshops with designer Anna Molinari to community panels on fast tech and sustainability, designed to attract both curious passersby and values-driven customers. Back Market’s own copy stresses that refurbished tech “is for everyone” and that the store is “built around a different idea: doing more with what you already have,” rather than fuelling impulse upgrades.
Statements from leadership underline the strategic intent. “The SoHo store is about showing what’s possible,” says co‑founder and CEO Thibaud Hug de Larauze. “When people experience refurbished tech in person, they see the quality, the savings, and the potential to live smarter. We believe this pilot can spark real trust and momentum for a more sustainable way forward.” Lauren Benton, General Manager USA, notes that “only 5 percent of Americans buy refurbished smartphones today,” but that in Europe refurbished tech is already a USD 50 billion market and that 60 percent of Gen Z are trying refurbished for the first time: “With our SoHo store, we’re making refurbished real, visible, and impossible to ignore.” For retail professionals, 449 Broadway is a compact but significant case study in how a digital marketplace can use physical retail to de‑risk a behaviour shift, blending merchandising, services and education to reposition “second‑hand tech” as aspirational, not second best.
Checkout
- The rear of the store is a seating and social space, also used for in-store events and activations
- At the front of the store is an automated phone "testing robot". It manipulates, scans and assesses a phone's condition to give an objective, rapid report.
Other Reading
- Back Market press release “Back Market’s First Store Aims to Break the Fast Tech Upgrade Cycle,” with full quotes from Lauren Benton and store details
- Back Market NYC retail store landing page outlining concept, services and FAQs:
- RetailTech Innovation Hub: “Refurbished tech firm Back Market gets physical in New York City with first ever retail store,” focusing on mission, fast‑tech framing and leadership quotes
- ZDNet: “You can buy refurbished tech from Back Market in person now,” with store photos, offer breakdown and market‑size context
- Retail TouchPoints: “Back Market’s latest salvo in its war against ‘fast tech’ — a store in SoHo,” for concept analysis, OOH campaign tie‑ins and experiential details
- Mythology’s project page on the Back Market store, for design intent and photos
LAST VISITED
Added
COMPARE WITH
Similar shops
