Albertans among the most likely to buy used tech, report finds
Posted Aug 18, 2026 7:19 pm.
Last Updated Aug 18, 2026 7:20 pm.
As students across Alberta prepare to head back to class, a new survey suggests many will turn to used technology to cut costs.
A Best Buy–commissioned survey found that nearly 70 per cent of Albertans bought used tech in the past year, among the highest rates in the country.
Computer science master’s student Nishad Ahamed says he planned to buy a new laptop ahead of the school year but has decided to wait. As a software engineering researcher at the University of Calgary, he says the hardware he needs has become too expensive.
“To run new software I need more RAM,” Ahamed said. “With the AI boom, you need a lot of random access memory in order to run that software, but currently those things are very costly.”
The survey also found that cost was the biggest motivator for Albertans who turn to used tech, with 81 per cent citing it as the reason, the highest rate in Canada.
At Calgary’s OpenBox, Robb Edye says demand for second-hand devices continues to rise.
“We have seen an increase among clientele because they want to see the product; they want to touch it,” Edye said. “They want to know that they can rely on it and trust it.”
Edye says the store has expanded beyond laptops and desktops into phones, tablets and other categories.
“Now OpenBox as a brand allows us to bring in pretty much anything, and every time we bring in a new category we’re seeing an increase,” he says.
Ahamed says when he eventually upgrades, the used market will be part of his search for both buying and selling.
“Whenever I want to sell my device, I’ll check the market and decide on the price.”
