There is a new willingness by corporates to consider refurbished devices while consumers are also becoming more open to buying used electronics. This is largely due to delayed imports and OEMs not being able to produce and ship new electronics.
Consumers are fast realising that refurbished electronics are perfectly fine and dealers are fighting for refurbished equipment market-share as the demand for affordable high-quality refurbished electronics grows. The demand is largely as a result of tough economic conditions and tight budgets.
Xperien CEO Wale Arewa says electronics manufacturers are now sourcing refurbished parts for their products as employees and students scramble to find laptops, computers and other IT accessories to study and work from home.
“New business models that cater for remote working have also resulted in many companies moving to the cloud and this means greater business opportunities in data centre decommissioning,” he says.
Reputable IT Asset Disposal (ITAD) companies are thriving with this unexpected demand for refurbished equipment. While a number of them will fail, those that survive are likely to enjoy future demand - particularly with fewer players providing these services.
"Companies and schools will learn from this crisis that it’s critical for employees and students to have the necessary equipment to work and study from home. Although this will drive the demand for IT equipment, it will also require ITAD companies to adapt to serve their clients better," he concludes.
