Should I buy new or used shelving?

We often get asked by customers whether new or used shelving is best for their business. There is no definitive answer but below we discuss some pros and cons for each.

New Shelving

Pros

There is nothing quite like opening a brand new business where everything is crisp and fresh – painted walls, polished floors, brand new gorgeous stock….and of course to showcase all your beautiful new goods the best way to display them is on beautiful new shelving!

You know when buying new storage systems what you see is what you get – it hasn’t been involved in any ‘accidents’ that may have weakened the metal or caused unsightly damage to the unit.

The resell value is more if you do decide to sell the shelving later on down the track.

Cons

It is (more often than not) more expensive than second hand shelving.

Every now and then things like the colour or the shelving brackets of a storage system will change due to changes in supplier and/or improvement to a product – in this case new shelving may not be compatible with your old shelving system, which may mean you need to try to source second hand products.

Second Hand Shelving

Pros

The price is usually better, so used products will be better suited to businesses on a budget.

Sometimes we are able to source shelving that would be described as ‘nearly new’, or ‘barely used’ meaning you are getting a superior product that may have only been purchased from the original buyer a short time ago.

Cons

Even though shelving is sturdy, over time repeated use can cause small weaknesses. Unlike buying a car, shelving doesn’t come with a log book of service history so it can be difficult to know the true history of the unit.

Second hand shelving can be unsightly due to damage and scratches – however many customers do not mind this, given that THEIR customers are more interested in what is displayed on the shelving than the shelving itself.

Availability is often an issue. When in reasonable condition, our second hand shelving can sell the day it arrives!

Our friendly team can advise what is best for you, just contact us today.