A Stockport-based company that buys, refurbishes, rents and resells used phones, laptops, books, CDs and DVDs so they stay out of landfill.
musicMagpie is a UK "recommerce" business: it buys things people no longer want, tests and refurbishes them, and sells them on. Customers can get a quote by scanning a barcode in the app or entering details online, post their items for free and be paid once they have been checked. Phones, tablets and laptops are tested and graded, screens and batteries are replaced where needed, and the data is wiped. Books, CDs, DVDs and games are cleaned, and damaged cases replaced. Items are then sold on its own website and on marketplaces such as eBay and Amazon. It also rents out smartphones. Sellers can even choose to send their payment to a charity.
The company began in 2007 in a garage in Hazel Grove, Stockport, started by Steve Oliver and Walter Gleeson, both from the music industry, as a way to sell second-hand CDs. It grew into refurbished consumer technology and now has a head office at Stockport Exchange. Its ethos is summed up as "Smart for you, smart for the planet", and it aims to make technology more affordable and kinder to the environment. It says its work has been recognised with the London Stock Exchange's Green Economy Mark, and that UK customers and trade partners helped save over 43,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2022.
In the UK, musicMagpie is rooted in Greater Manchester, where it describes hiring skilled people from Stockport, the wider region and beyond. It has also placed around 300 SMARTDrop kiosks in Asda stores, so people can sell a phone while shopping, with the aim of putting most of the UK population within a short drive of one. Its US business, Decluttr, is based in Atlanta, Georgia. The company says it resells close to 400,000 tech items a year, and about 8.4 million books and discs that might otherwise have become waste. Those figures date from 2023 and 2024.
On people and culture, the company's published pages give few details of day-to-day working life. A Stockport Council profile says it works with local businesses and community groups, particularly on sustainability. An Amazon feature from around 2022 said it employed more than 750 people. Named leaders in company announcements include Steve Oliver as chief executive, Ian Storey as chief operating officer and Matthew Fowler as chief financial officer. Customer reviews are strong on Trustpilot, which is the company's own claim, and it has won awards for refurbished and secondary-market services in 2023.
A business like this needs buyers and graders who value used goods, warehouse and logistics teams, technicians who test and repair devices, software and data people who build the pricing and app, and marketing, customer service and finance staff. Because the business is based near Manchester rather than London, it suits people who want a circular-economy career in the North West. Check the company's website for current roles and for its current structure.
Website: www.musicmagpie.co.uk
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