Asda and MusicMagpie launch sustainability partnership

MusicMagpie has announced the launch of a new sustainability partnership with Asda, in a move that will see the roll-out of its SMARTDrop kiosks across Asda stores.

The affiliate agreement will give Asda customers the chance to buy and sell pre-owned consumer technology, such as tablets and mobiles, and media items with the Asda website and app. 

The partnership will reportedly create a circular ecosystem that will prevent “thousands of tonnes” of consumer technology and media products being wasted

It marks a continuation of a pre-existing relationship between MusicMagpie and Asda, whereby pre-owned DVDs and CDs have been available to buy across Asda stores since August 2020. 

Following the latest partnership, MusicMagpie’s SMARTDrop kiosks will be rolled out to nearly 300 Asda stores in 2022, following a “highly successful” trial involving 15 kiosks across the Asda estate since November 2020. 

According to MusicMagpie, the kiosks will offer a “fast, easy and free way to recycle unwanted phones for instant cash”.  They allow a customer to bring in their old phone, receive a valuation and get paid instantly with money transferred directly to a bank or PayPal account.

To date, around 3,000 smartphones have been traded in through MusicMagpie’s kiosks, for a total payout sum of around £800,000to customers. 

Following the Asda roll-out, 90% of the population in the UK will reportedly live within a 15-minute drive of a SMARTDrop kiosk. 

Trial research also found that 70% of the customers who came into a store to use a kiosk had not shopped at Asda before, and that 24% of customers using a kiosk went on to make a purchase whilst in store.

Steve Oliver, CEO and co-founder of MusicMagpie, said: “We are thrilled that a business of Asda’s prestige and national reach has recognised the value of musicMagpie’s unique circular economy model, and is now prepared to scale up our partnership so decisively and quickly. 

“Our research shows that the average UK household has 11 items of unused consumer technology lying around, totalling an astonishing £16.5bn. Both the SMARTDrop kiosks and the new affiliate agreement will allow Asda customers to free up cash and declutter their homes.”

Matt Harrison, senior director of Partnerships at Asda, said: “Our exclusive partnership with musicMagpie has been developed with the long-term view in mind and it is   fantastic to see this vision achieved through a wider roll out in Asda stores. From the start, the team at musicMagpie have shared our philosophy of testing and learning through trials in our stores, with the ability to quickly understand what works and scale.

“The launch of 295 SMARTDrop kiosks and an affiliate site where customers can buy and sell technology via Asda.com will prevent e-waste going to landfill, as well as save shoppers time and money. As we continue to deliver on our partnership strategy and develop our partner ‘ecosystem’, we hope to create more opportunities to offer customers access to the products and services they want in more convenient locations.”