As customers’ shopping preferences change over time, mobile operators are not immune. For 2026–27, three big trends should shape how operators need to think about products, service and loyalty: the rise of second-hand affinity, the continuation of mobile-centric sales, a redefined role for physical stores and the growing expectation that AI will guide buying decisions. Each trend carries practical implications for how mobile operators win and keep customers.
Second-hand devices are going more mainstream
The market for used products arrived. As premium 5G phone ASPs continue to increase, consumers are more likely to keep phones longer (32 percent increase in phone ownership longevity U.S. market from 2016 to 2025) or look to alternatives to renew. A Circana report found 75 percent of U.S. consumers would now be open to buying a certified pre-owned (CPO) phone. In Europe, 55 percent of consumers are willing to buy a refurbished smartphone.
Why it matters for telcos: Trade-ins for new premium 5G devices are appealing marketing acquisition and retention, but they end up adding to the customer’s balance. Having a strategy in place to engage value-sensitive customers on the mobile device would be wise moving forward. But it also requires an intake strategy and building the supply chain. Operators that control provenance, grading and fulfillment turn returned devices into low-cost stock, improve upgrade economics and create retention hooks for value-sensitive customers.
Mobile and apps shopping continues to accelerate, but AI is the game-changer
More shopping is happening online and much of that activity is mobile. By 2027, 62 percent of ecommerce will be conducted by mobile as consumers spend more and more time on their mobile. However, what’s now different is the potential and introduction of AI agents into the shopping experience, which can be predictive about user behavior, proactive about their interests and personalize accordingly.
Why it matters for telcos: The app tends to be a passive hub for customers seeking help with basic needs and managing their account. But with operators increasing their selection of products and services to create more customer stickiness, there is a real opportunity to transform the app from a passive tool into a much more active and proactive one. Using device health as a focal point of customer engagement and opening the funnel, operators can capture mobile device intelligence to help customers manage their devices and then leverage the interaction into a personalized upsell opportunity.
Retail still matters, but as an experience and fulfilment hub
Physical stores are far from obsolete and they’re evolving. Store experiences have become less about discovery and more about hands-on validation, fulfillment and higher-touch services. Customers will continue to browse and shop online, but they sometimes finish complex transactions in person with models like Buy-Online-Pick-Up-In-Store (BOPIS). These drive both convenience and extra in-store spend when executed effectively.
Why it matters for telcos: Retail must be tightly integrated with digital to allow the BOPIS model to succeed. More than 60 percent of telco customers find themselves repeating steps when transitioning from app to store for service or fulfillment, which causes a nine-point NPS drop immediately. Retail must also shift from a sales-only hub to an experience hub – a strategy of identifying new mechanisms to provide value to customers. This can include helping them better manage their device health with proactive health checks to identify how to optimize for longevity.
Your partner to being prepared: MCE
The combined takeaway for 2026–27 is simple: own the device experience. Make the app the commerce hub, treat refurbished inventory as strategic, link stores into a single omnichannel flow and use AI agents that convert signals into timely, personalized offers. MCE is your partner to meet these strategic goals, with leading mobile operators already tabbing MCE technology to support them on these kinds of strategies, including Vodafone, TELUS, AT&T and T-Mobile. Learn more about our solution here.
