Forbes: How Trade-in supports retailers

Omnichannel Trade-In from Breezy is now available in Ukraine, allowing customers to instantly benefit from their old devices when buying new ones — whether in-store, online, or via mobile apps. The country’s largest electronics retailers, COMFY and Foxtrot, were the early adopters of the expanded service. In a conversation with Forbes, they shared how the new Trade-In model not only makes technology more affordable for consumers but also helps counter the persistent challenge of Ukraine’s grey electronics market.

Read the full article.

Main takeaways

What’s new?

Omnichannel Trade-In by Breezy is now available online and in stores at COMFY and Foxtrot. Buyers can instantly trade in old gadgets while shopping, with discounts applied right away—no need to mail anything or wait.

Andrii Kosar, CEO of Breezy:
“Trade-In now covers all purchasing channels. A customer can initiate the process online and complete it in-store. Device evaluation and price estimation happen remotely—no need to leave home. Everything is instant and seamless. This is unique not only for Ukraine but also for Europe.”

How the online Trade-in works:

• Remote evaluation. The customer describes the device’s condition, uploads a few photos, and receives a price within five minutes.
• Purchase. If the offer is acceptable, the discount is applied immediately during checkout, and the customer only pays the difference.
• Device logistics. The old phone is handed over upon receiving the new purchase in-store. A consultant verifies if the IMEI and condition match the evaluation.

AI-powered remote evaluation

To deliver fast and accurate price estimates, the Trade-In program uses dual verification: AI-driven analysis followed by human review. This ensures both accuracy and immediacy.

Why it matters

The gray electronics market in Ukraine results in annual losses exceeding ₴10 billion due to tax evasion. The dominance of gray imports in the electronics sector puts official retailers at a disadvantage compared to market players who avoid paying taxes and customs duties.

To combat this, official electronics sellers run awareness campaigns highlighting the risks of purchasing gray-market devices. However, since most consumers don’t notice a quality difference at the time of purchase—but clearly see the price gap—these campaigns are less effective than Trade-In programs.

Oleksandr Boiev, E-commerce Director at COMFY:
“COMFY aims to be a pioneer in market trends, and we saw Trade-In’s potential early. We quickly integrated it into our online store and mobile app. In the first month alone, customer interest was huge. It’s not just convenient—it’s a strategic tool in the fight against gray-market goods.”

Support from vendors

Trade-In contributes to environmental sustainability, motivating tech brands like Apple and Samsung to support the initiative. They offer additional bonuses for upgrading through Trade-In that cover up to 60% of a new device’s price.

The potential is huge

Despite growing interest, only 15% of users in Ukraine have used Trade-In—mirroring Europe. In the U.S. and India, adoption is much higher. According to Dataxis, 81% of adults have at least one unused device at home. Trade-In is the key to unlocking that hidden value.

Oleg Nikolsky, CMO at Foxtrot:
“Trade-in with instant discount offers buyers an opportunity to upgrade their devices in just a few clicks, while offsetting the price gap between official and gray-market products. This reduces the incentive to risk buying unofficial goods. Our new ‘FoxiExchange’ online tool helps scale the program and integrate it into the full omnichannel customer journey—from product page to delivery.”

Omnichannel Trade-In will soon roll out across most major retailers in Ukraine — and is expected to launch in other Breezy markets as well. This will make officially imported electronics more accessible to a broader audience.

Discover more about Breezy’s omnichannel trade-in