MusicMagpie Plc (styled as musicMagpie) is a British online retailer buying and selling refurbished electronics and second-hand computer games, consoles, books, films and music.[1]
 | |
| Company type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | E-commerce |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Founders | Steve Oliver, Walter Gleeson |
| Headquarters | Stockport & Macclesfield |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Steve Oliver, Walter Gleeson |
| Services | Online shopping |
Number of employees | 1,000 (December 2019) |
| Website | musicmagpie |
History
editmusicMagpie was founded in Stockport in 2007 by Steve Oliver and Walter Gleeson, both with previous experience of the music industry. The company was originally based in Oliver's garage, buying only CDs.[2]
Records show that from February 2017, the company employed 1000 people, and received 5 million ratings on eBay, becoming the most popular seller on that platform.[3]
By 2018 the company had sold an estimated £125 million of used items, primarily through Amazon and eBay.[2]
In 20 November 2023, companies such as the BT Group and Aurelius Group announced their interests to buy the company.[4]
In October 2024, British electrical retailer AO World announced it would acquire musicMagpie for approximately £10 million.[5]
Business model
editPrices are checked through an algorithm which determines an item's popularity on all competitors' websites. Due to its low prices for items such as CDs, the service is often used by individuals selling in bulk.[2]
Customers can enter an items’ barcode or name into musicMagpie's website to receive an instant quotation. Customers can then send their goods to the company free of charge by various methods.[6] Once the goods are received, if they meet quality requirements, the seller is paid.
The principle behind its purchase and sale algorithm is to keep a minimum stock in the company's warehouse, and continuously buy and sell the same item while listing it on multiple platforms. Depending on an artist's new release, advertisements and other relevant factors, the company tends to increase the stock if expecting to get bigger sales from a specific product. DVDs are typically purchased for 1 penny and books for 20 pence, and then resold for an average of £1 or £2. [citation needed]
Customers can purchase used items through a separate part of the website.
Poundland deal
editThe company has a deal with UK budget retailer Poundland, where it supplies them with used CDs, DVDs and Blu-rays, which are sold for one pound as part of Poundland's Replay range.[7]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ King, Mark (5 January 2018). "MusicMagpie – consumer app of the week". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
- ^ a b c Reynolds, Matt (8 June 2018). "How musicMagpie turned old CDs into a £125 million a year business". Wired. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
- ^ Begum, Shelina (21 February 2017). "musicMagpie is first in world to pass 5 million in eBay feedback". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
- ^ Boyadzhieva, Yanitsa (2023-11-20). "BT tunes into potential musicMagpie takeover amid EE revamp". TelecomTV. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
- ^ "UK's AO World to buy musicMagpie in $13.3 million deal". Reuters. 2 October 2024.
- ^ "How It Works | How Do I Sell My Phone & Tech?". musicMagpie. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
- ^ Begum, Shelina (3 November 2017). "MusicMagpie strikes deal with Poundland to offer CDs, DVDs and Blu-Rays". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 24 February 2020.