Refurbished instead of new – the better choice on Black Friday and Cyber Monday
The first candle on the Advent wreath is lit, and anyone who didn't spend most of their monthly salary on shopping last Friday will surely do so today – on Cyber Monday. But while ‘mega deals’ are promised everywhere, the end result is often disappointment – and not just when we look at our bank accounts: prices are often artificially inflated beforehand, or discounts are offered that hardly deserve the name. Those who shop really smart don't rely on consumerism, but on sustainable alternatives. Why is refurbished brand-name hardware the better choice? Find out in this blog post.
Special shopping days and their psychological effect on us
Black Friday and Cyber Mondayhave long been more than just two days on the calendar – they have become global shopping events that millions of people eagerly await every year. As is so often the case, this trend has spilled over from the USA and is now firmly established in Europe. Cyber Week is synonymous with the best deals of the year, euphoria and a shopping frenzy that leaves credit cards glowing.
The days with the highest sales are no longer purely an online phenomenon – in department stores and shops, retailers are also outdoing each other with slogans such as ‘mega discount’, ‘today only’ or ‘50% off EVERYTHING!’, while consumers are confronted with the feeling that they have to strike immediately in order not to miss out. And Christmas is just around the corner – as are St. Nicholas Day, New Year's Eve, New Year's fitness plans, the motivation to finally live healthier lives, and so on and so forth...
In addition to these personal needs that reinforce our desire to buy, the Black Friday and Cyber Monday discount campaigns have an effect on our brains that is almost like consuming drugs: Discount signals create a short-term feeling of happiness and reinforce the urge for more. Slogans such as ‘only today’, ‘exclusively online’, ‘cheaper than ever’ or ‘strike now’ are triggers for our brains that not only activate the reward system, but also partially switch off rational thinking. The feeling of urgency and scarcity leads to impulse purchases. Consumers suffer from ‘FOMO’ (fear of missing out), which accelerates the purchase decision just as much as the impression of actually saving money, even if they haven't even compared prices with other shops.
Shop filter functions that allow you to filter by, for example, 30% discount, 50% discount, or even 80% discount reinforce this feeling even more—and we end up buying products that we don't actually need right now. Here, too, psychological tricks work not only in online shops, but also in brick-and-mortar stores: In addition to percentage signs and strike-through prices, crowds, jostling, and other visual stimuli also intensify the shopping frenzy. The discount is perceived as a “profit” – regardless of the actual price advantage.
But the reality is usually different, more sobering: the supposed bargains are not nearly as spectacular as they appear at first glance. It is not uncommon for products to be artificially inflated in price beforehand and then given a ‘generous discount.’. Nowadays, social media also plays a role in influencing our behaviour: influencers sell us completely overpriced products as ‘the highlight’ par excellence – but the more often we see the advertised goods, the less ‘stupid’ it seems to us to buy them
What's more, we shoppers have increasingly high expectations: the biggest bargain days of the year are so hyped up that it seems impossible not to achieve even better savings this year than last – right?
Deals, pressure, disillusionment – the price of supposed bargains
Many consumers have long since noticed what has been a fact for several years now: the glamour of the big shopping days is no longer as dazzling as it once was. Whereas genuine bargains used to attract shoppers, today's offers are far less attractive than in previous years. From the coronavirus crisis and the subsequent supply bottlenecks to the economic crisis, it is hardly surprising that many retailers are no longer able to offer huge discounts.
The general price trend is also continuing to rise: electronics, IT hardware, cars and household appliances – just like food – have become considerably more expensive in recent years. So even when a discount is offered, the final price is often higher than it was just a few years ago.
Studies also show that many discounts are fake discounts. The RRP (recommended retail price) is set artificially high so that the supposed discounts often appear larger than they actually are after the discount has been applied.
The latest notebook or server may offer more performance, but not only are the costs very high, the hardware often far exceeds the actual performance requirements of users and companies. Many SMEs get along very well with the previous generation – especially since used hardware is much cheaper and can be scaled to meet specific needs. Those who rely solely on the assumption that ‘new’ is always better run the risk of falling into a consumption trap that is neither economical nor sustainable.
Smart consumption: demand instead of excess, sustainable hardware as a solution
Smart consumption: demand instead of excess, sustainable hardware as a solution sustainable solutions are available that are not only durable but also benefit our environment. Refurbished hardware is the key here. Branded products from well-known manufacturers are professionally reconditioned by IT professionals like us. Servers, PCs or notebooks are tested, cleaned and technically upgraded using sophisticated processes.
This means that they are not only technically up to date, but also offer performance comparable to new products – and perhaps even a touch more reliability. Production defects can be ruled out with used goods, as the hardware has already proven itself to be reliable in operation.
However, the big advantage over new goods is clearly the price: similar to household items, motor vehicles or other consumer goods, new hardware also loses most of its value after the first year of use. The devices are definitely not old after this period – but they are significantly cheaper. So anyone who purchases the hardware after the price drop is investing in top technology – at a low price.
In addition to the price advantage, there is also a difference in philosophy: choosing refurbished means actively working to protect our resources and avoid electronic waste. Companies that make their used hardware available promote the circular economy and enable smaller businesses and private individuals to afford high-quality technology in the first place.
Refurbishment extends the life cycle of devices – which makes sense not only ecologically but also economically. Companies and private customers alike benefit from high-quality professional devices, tested quality and a price that is significantly lower than that of new products. And all this without compromising on functionality, performance and reliability, because renowned brand hardware is designed for long-term use.
What sets our refurbished hardware apart
At Serverando, we deliberately rely on renowned hardware manufacturers and also stand out thanks to our in-house technology centre, where all devices are tested and refurbished to the highest quality standards. Functionality, performance and reliability are the focus of our rigorous testing process. With almost 25 years of experience in the IT remarketing industry, we have accumulated a wealth of expertise and offer our customers tested hardware, transparent processes and detailed condition and configuration descriptions.
We know that ‘used hardware’ has a strange connotation for many people – that's why we focus on trust, accuracy and reliability to make it easy even for sceptics to embrace sustainable consumption.
While many retailers work with short-term bait offers, we offer a long-term solution: technology that delivers what it promises and is significantly cheaper than new goods. Those who choose refurbished products are not only investing in a product, but also making a clear statement – a clever combination of cost-effectiveness, environmental protection, price savings and quality. This is exactly what makes our hardware the better choice.
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