HCI Distribution
Trade Insights
Straight, practical guides to buying and reselling refurbished and ex-corporate laptops. Pick the section that fits you.
For your business
Choosing refurbished laptops for your team, and getting the spec and budget right.
For your business
Refurbished Laptops and Windows 11: What to Buy Now Windows 10 Is Done (UK)
Windows 10 support ended on 14 October 2025. A graded ex-corporate laptop is the cheap, clean way to refresh a fleet onto Windo...
7 min read · Jun 2026
For your business
Refurbished Laptops for Business: An Honest Buyer's Guide (UK)
A properly graded ex-corporate laptop does the job of a new one for a third to a half of the price. Here's what to buy for busi...
7 min read · Jun 2026
For your business
Refurbished vs New Business Laptops: The Real 3-Year Cost
Compared over three years, not on sticker price, refurbished business laptops win for most office roles. Here's the honest tota...
9 min read · Apr 2026
For your business
Are Refurbished Laptops Reliable Enough for Business?
A graded ex-corporate laptop is usually as reliable as new for office work. The honest version: what actually decides reliabili...
9 min read · Mar 2026
For your business
Leasing vs Buying Refurbished Business Laptops: Which Is Cheaper?
Leasing spreads the cost, but over a term you pay more than the kit is worth. For most small businesses, buying graded refurbis...
9 min read · Feb 2026
For your business
How Much Laptop Can Your Budget Buy? The Business Spec Ladder
How much laptop your budget buys comes down to spec and whether you buy new or refurbished. Here's the business spec ladder in ...
10 min read · Sep 2025
Buying in bulk & wholesale
How to buy a batch and source wholesale stock without getting burned.
Buying in bulk & wholesale
How to Buy Laptops in Bulk for Your Business (UK)
Buying a batch of 5 to 50 laptops for staff? Here's how to run the purchase well: standardise on one spec, pick the grade for t...
9 min read · May 2026
Buying in bulk & wholesale
Where to Buy Graded & Ex-Corporate Laptops Wholesale (UK)
The honest map of where wholesale graded and ex-corporate laptops come from: trade distributors, marketplaces, blind pallets an...
10 min read · Nov 2025
Buying in bulk & wholesale
Buying Laptops in Bulk: What Spec to Standardise On
Buying a batch of laptops? Standardise on one spec instead of mixing. Here's the case for a single fleet spec, the standard to ...
7 min read · Jun 2025
For resellers
Trade guides for shops and resellers: grades, licensing, VAT, and what sells.
For resellers
Do Refurbished Laptops Come With a Windows Licence? (UK Reseller Guide)
In almost every case, no, a used or ex-corporate laptop already carries a paid Windows licence embedded in the machine. Here's ...
6 min read · Jan 2026
For resellers
Refurbished Laptop Grades Explained: A Trade Buyer's Guide to A, B and C
Grades describe condition, not performance, and there's no universal standard. Here's what Grade A, B and C actually mean for a...
6 min read · Dec 2025
For resellers
The VAT Margin Scheme for Resellers: A Worked Example
Under the VAT margin scheme you pay VAT on your profit margin, not the full selling price. Here's a plain-English worked exampl...
7 min read · Nov 2025
For resellers
What Is an Ex-Corporate Laptop (and Why It's the Best-Margin Stock)
An ex-corporate laptop is a business-class machine retired from a company off refresh, lease or ITAD. Here's where it comes fro...
9 min read · Oct 2025
For resellers
What Laptops Sell Best for Resellers: What to Stock
The refurbished laptop that sells through fastest is an ex-corporate i5 / 16GB / 256GB SSD, 14". Here's what to stock to turn y...
8 min read · Aug 2025
For resellers
Opening a Trade Account: How Resellers Buy Graded Laptops Wholesale
A trade account is how an established reseller buys graded laptops wholesale at prices that leave a margin. Here's who qualifie...
9 min read · Jul 2025