Rosebank Mall gets technical with new store
Rosebank Mall is home to an innovative new store which is so much more than it first appears to be! Re-purposing is fast becoming a way of life and the tech space should be no exception. With this in mind, David Hirsch – CEO of TechMarkit – has introduced his very own brand of pre-loved technology. You could say that David followed his ‘tech’nicolour dream after leaving his position as a director of a consumer electronics and IT retailer. He freely admits that TechMarkit, a PC business focused on selling pre-owned and new Windows-based laptops and Android, was an idea that he simply could not shake.
It didn’t take David long to realise that there are scores of people who want to buy a laptop, PC or phone but don’t want to buy brand new or find buying new prohibitively expensive. Consumers need and want value-for-money and peace of mind. Now they can get both at Rosebank Mall’s upmarket TechMarkit store.
All pre-owned products are graded according to their condition. This gives the customer a clearer idea of the physical and cosmetic state of each item they are considering buying. TechMarkit also checks and tests each item (unless of course, it is brand-new) so that you are assured of buying a quality product. So, whether you want to buy new, or pre-owned or you decide to trade in, you’ll become part of this unique circular economy that has become David’s brainchild.
TechMarkit is a truly unique concept. It first started as an online store but quickly evolved to the physical realm when David realised that people like to see what they are buying, especially when it comes to technology. He also found that his customers prefer speaking to an actual person because of the long list of questions that they want to ask before parting with their hard-earned money.
David also understands that there is only a 30% PC penetration in South Africa. He says, “Our people may have mobile phones but laptops and PCs remain unattainable for most. Brand-new laptops are prohibitively expensive for most people, and yet they are essential tools for school, higher education, work and life in general. I would like to play a part in changing this, in making technology accessible to everyone.”
All TechMarkit products are graded into usage categories to help customers get technology that is based on what they need. For example, if your teen needs a laptop for school, you can buy a grade D because he won’t need the same functionality as a businessperson or an online gamer.
Equally important is the trade-in component of the store. What makes this component so appealing is that you can take your second-hand technology in and actually get a fair trade-in price for it. TechMarkit sports its very own trade-in calculator to make sure the trade-in is a win-win for both the customer and the store. Your laptop is first diagnosed, then refurbished and finally priced – very competitively. Perfectly re-purposed for the next owner. What’s more, the technology comes with a six-month to one-year warranty – covering all the same things that manufacturers’ warranties would normally cover.
And as proof that they walk the talk, this first TechMarkit store was designed with re-purposing front of mind by stylishly refurbishing wood pallets from their warehouse to make up the counters in the store which are also embedded with old keyboards and tech components. Not only is this a smart use of what would otherwise have ended up in a landfill, but it also underpins the message they are committed to conveying: “We are in the business of refurbishing. From our counters to our technology. We aim to teach the younger generations that you can re-purpose – it’s more cost effective and it’s not always necessary to buy new.”