JB Hi-Fi refurbishes 7500 'unsellable' handsets for staff, loan use

JB Hi-Fi said it had given a “second life” to over 7500 otherwise “unsellable” smartphones over the past year, repurposing many of them for staff use or as loan devices for customers.

The retailer disclosed the program as part of ongoing “circular economy initiatives” that have also previously dealt with - and continue to deal with - its handling of e-waste.

In its sustainability report, released to coincide with its FY21 results, JB Hi-Fi said its central warehouse “operates a process to refurbish and re-use within our business ‘unsellable’ mobile phones that have been returned by customers or are ex-display stock.”

“In FY21, approximately 7578 mobile phones were given a second life and re-used through different areas of the business,” JB Hi-Fi said.

“This process involves creating a circular economy within our business operations for unsellable mobile phones as either demo/display units, customer loan devices and company phones for employees, thus extending the useful life of each phone prior to it being salvaged and recycled.”

JB Hi-Fi said it “removed and wiped” all personal data from the returned devices before repurposing them for loans or staff use.

The retailer today reported a net profit after tax for FY21 of $506.1 million, up 67.4 percent year-on-year.

It called out its “continued investment in online and supply chain operations, including upgrades to the group’s websites and expanded delivery and warehouse options” as contributors to the result.

“Total online sales across the group grew by 78.1 percent to $1.06 billion, representing 11.9 percent of total sales,” JB Hi-Fi said in a financial filing.

The retailer added that it is “pleased with how its online and supply chain operations have scaled”, and in its ability to maintain “a high level of customer service and on-time delivery, during a period of significantly increased volume.”