Make Money on Refurbished IT Equipment

In today’s eco-conscious world, businesses are turning to used and refurbished electronics to save money and reduce e-waste, without compromising with quality.

bySEO GOMO/6 February, 2025/inBlogs

In today’s eco-conscious world, businesses are turning to used and refurbished electronics to save money and reduce e-waste, without compromising with quality. This shift presents a strong opportunity for IT retailers to expand their offerings – providing a sustainable, cost-effective alternative to new IT equipment.

Are you looking to enter the refurbished IT business, or are you already established and seeking a reliable supply of used equipment to refurbish and sell? Either way, we at Remade can help.

We offer a large supply of used IT equipment in multiple grades, ensuring transparency about product quality so you always know what you’re buying. Here’s everything you need to know about the business opportunities of refurbished enterprise hardware, and why Remade’s grading system sets us apart in the world of secondary refurbished IT equipment.

Why Companies are Turning Towards Refurbished Electronics

The market for refurbished electronics has seen substantial growth in recent years. In 2021, the global refurbished electronics market was valued at approximately USD 85.42 billion and is projected to reach USD 272.91 billion by 2031, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 12.1% during this period.

The reasons why businesses are turning to refurbished electronics are exactly what you expect them to be:

Cost savings: Saving money is by far the most common reason for companies choosing to buy refurbished electronics. In general, most people expect at least a 20-30% markdown in price, but can go even higher depending on the state of the devices.
Environmental sustainability: The second most cited reason is the reduced environmental impact – mirrored by many individuals interested in refurbished IT equipment – to keep them out of our landfills.
Availability of legacy systems: A third, but not very common, reason is the availability of legacy systems through refurbished electronics. There are some corner cases where businesses might be limited by other legacy hardware, and to extend the life of the existing infrastructure, they would need access to an older product only available as used or refurbished hardware.

The Competition is Increasing

As mentioned, the market for secondary refurbished IT equipment has grown significantly, to the extent that you are not only competing with other IT retailers, but the major players as well. Leading electronics manufacturers and e-commerce platforms, including Apple, Dell, Samsung, Amazon, among others, are investing heavily in recycling and refurbished IT equipment to reduce e-waste.

To stay competitive in a growing market, we at Remade are here to help, providing a transparent grading system of our used IT devices, to ensure you can keep a stock of refurbished IT products always filled to the brim.

How Does Remade’s Grading System Work?

We offer used IT devices in multiple grades(state of functionality and looks) to match any business model. The purpose of our grading system is to ensure you have options, where our grading criteria includes evaluating the physical condition, functionality, and performance of each device, giving you full transparency and understanding of how much refurbishment would be required to make the devices sellable.

Grade A: Little to no wear

Condition: Minimal or no signs of use (e.g., small scratches or scuffs).
Functionality: Fully functional or requires only minor refurbishment (e.g., light cleaning).

Example: A laptop with a few scratches on the casing.

Grade B: Noticeable wear

Condition: Visible cosmetic wear (e.g., dents, chipped surfaces) but no significant structural damage.
Functionality: Fully functional with all parts intact, though minor repairs or adjustments (e.g., reapplying thermal paste, minor alignment issues) may be required for optimal performance.

Example: A laptop with a dented corner and worn keyboard but fully operational with no missing components.

Grade C: Heavy wear

Condition: Significant wear or damage (e.g., cracked screen, major dents/scratched, major white spots or warped casing).
Functionality: Barely functional or non-functional, requiring major refurbishment or replacement of critical parts (e.g., motherboard, screen, multiple internal components).

Example: A smartphone with a broken screen, unresponsive buttons or severe display defects.

Explore a Wide Stock of Used IT Devices from Remade

Getting into or expanding your offering secondary refurbished IT equipment, there’s no better partners than Remade – and here’s why:

Reliable grading system: Our grading system makes it straightforward, where we make it clear what you are getting and what amount of refurbishment will be required to take the devices from non-functional to functional.

Large stock: Remade collaborates with a large, global network of buyers and sellers, where we can ensure a large stock all year round.

Handpick individual assets: Buy in bulk or handpick individual assets across most categories to tailor the purchase to your specific needs.

Wide offering: We provide a wide offering of used IT equipment, including computers, mobiles, monitors, servers, and other devices from leading manufacturers like HP, Dell, Lenovo, Apple, Fujitsu, Samsung, Huawei, Cisco, Microsoft, and more.

Our drive is to minimize the climate impact from old IT devices – and providing you with used devices to offer secondary refurbished IT equipment to companies and individuals is a big part of our way of working. If you want to know more about our way of working, or want to buy used IT equipment, get in touch today.

FAQ

How much can businesses save by choosing refurbished hardware?

Businesses can save 20% up to 70% (in rare cases), compared to purchasing new equipment, depending on the model, brand, and market conditions.

Why invest in refurbished IT equipment instead of only selling new products?

Refurbished IT equipment offers higher profit margins, lower upfront costs, and increased customer demand for affordable alternatives to new devices. With businesses and individuals seeking cost-effective tech solutions, IT retailers can attract a broader customer base while contributing to sustainability efforts by reducing e-waste.

What are the biggest challenges with selling refurbished electronics?

Common challenges include building customer trust, managing inventory quality, and competing with major brands that have entered the refurbished market. Ensuring transparency through clear grading, warranties, and detailed product descriptions can help overcome skepticism and position retailers as reliable suppliers.

How does the demand for refurbished IT compare to new IT products?

The global demand for refurbished IT is growing rapidly, driven by cost-conscious businesses, individuals, and organizations looking for sustainable solutions. While new IT products remain dominant, the refurbished market is expected to grow at a 12%+ annual rate, fueled by affordability, availability of legacy systems, and eco-conscious buying decisions.