Circular Retail Program Demand & Attitudes Survey

Welcome! This survey explores your shopping experiences and attitudes toward retailer-led programs such as trade-ins, take-back, repair, and refurbished resale. This should take approximately 6–8 minutes. Your participation is entirely voluntary, and you may stop at any time. There are no right or wrong answers—we are interested in your honest opinions. All responses are confidential, anonymized, and reported only in aggregate for research purposes.

In the past 12 months, how often have you purchased items from retailers (any category)?

• Weekly or more
• A few times per month
• About once per month
• Every 2–3 months
• Less often
• I have not purchased from a retailer in the past 12 months

Which of the following channels do you typically use when shopping? Please select all that apply.

• Retailer website or app
• Online marketplaces (e.g., Amazon, eBay)
• Brand-owned physical stores
• Multi-brand physical stores
• Secondhand or consignment marketplaces
• Social commerce (e.g., Instagram, TikTok)
• Outlet stores
• Other

Before today, how familiar were you with retailer-led circular programs (e.g., trade-in, take-back, repair, or refurbished resale)?

Many retailers now offer circular options—trade-in or take-back for store credit or cash, certified refurbished resale, repair and alterations, and recycling. Returned items are typically inspected, graded, and then resold, repaired, or responsibly recycled. Please keep these options in mind as you answer the following questions.

In the past 12 months, which of the following have you personally done? Please select all that apply.

• Returned an item to a retailer for store credit
• Traded in a used item to a retailer for payout
• Sold an item on a peer-to-peer marketplace
• Bought a refurbished item from a retailer
• Used a retailer repair or alteration service
• Recycled or donated via a retailer take-back program
• None of the above

Thinking about your experiences with any of these circular activities, how satisfied were you with the overall ease of the process?

How satisfied were you with the value you received (e.g., payout, store credit, quality of repair)?

If a retailer you shop at offered a circular program, how likely would you be to use it in the next 6 months?

How likely would you be to recommend a retailer's circular program to a friend or family member?

How much do you trust retailers to handle returned items responsibly (e.g., resale, repair, recycling)?

Which incentives would most motivate you to participate in a retailer's circular program? Please select up to 3.

• Cash payout
• Store credit bonus (extra value vs. cash)
• Discount on a future purchase
• Free shipping/returns on the trade-in
• Loyalty points boost
• Donation to charity option
• Discount on repair or alteration
• Extended warranty on refurbished purchases
• Other

For a like-new item originally priced at $100, what is the minimum payout that would make you trade it in?

• Less than $10
• $10–$19
• $20–$29
• $30–$39
• $40–$49
• $50–$59
• $60–$69
• $70 or more

Where would you prefer to complete circular returns or trade-ins?

• In-store drop-off
• Mail-in with prepaid label
• Scheduled home pickup or courier
• At-home boxless pickup (no packaging needed)
• Either in-store or mail-in
• No preference

Please rank the following barriers to using a circular program, where 1 = biggest barrier.

1. Payout feels too low
2. Hassle or time to prepare and ship
3. Limited drop-off locations or pickup times
4. Concern items won't be accepted or graded fairly
5. Unsure about data or privacy security
6. Prefer to keep or give to friends/family

Based on your responses in this survey, please share any additional thoughts or feelings about retailer circular programs (e.g., trade-in, take-back, repair, refurbished resale).

We'd like to learn more about your experiences and feelings toward circular retail programs. Please share what matters most to you, and our AI interviewer will ask a couple of follow-up questions.

What is your age?

• 18–24
• 25–34
• 35–44
• 45–54
• 55–64
• 65+
• Prefer not to say

How do you describe your gender?

• Man
• Woman
• Non-binary
• Prefer not to say

What is the highest level of education you have completed?

• Some high school
• High school diploma or equivalent
• Some college or associate degree
• Bachelor's degree
• Postgraduate degree
• Prefer not to say

What is your current employment status?

• Employed full-time
• Employed part-time
• Self-employed
• Student
• Homemaker or caregiver
• Retired
• Unemployed
• Prefer not to say

Where do you currently live?

• United States
• Canada
• United Kingdom
• Australia
• European Union
• Other

Thank you for your time. Your feedback will help improve circular retail options for shoppers everywhere.