Retired Office Chairs

"Retired office chairs" primarily involve two scenarios: circulation in the second-hand market and government procurement, with differences in their sources, prices, and purchasing entities.

Retired Office Chairs in the Second-Hand Market

In September 2024, multiple batches of Herman Miller office chairs labeled as "retired" appeared in the second-hand office furniture market, such as 30 retired Herman Miller SAYL chairs from a pharmaceutical company and 30 retired Aeron Generation I chairs from a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company. The term "retired" in such cases is often a marketing tactic used by recyclers, with the actual sources related to two situations:

• Outflow from Large Enterprises' Standard Equipment: Some companies purchase high-end office chairs and, due to business adjustments or equipment upgrades, resell chairs that are not fully worn out through second-hand channels. For example, Herman Miller, as a high-end brand, often has its products used as standard equipment for employees in large enterprises. Such chairs are labeled as "retired" when circulating in the second-hand market to attract buyers.
• Asset Disposal After Company Downsizing: When companies downsize or close due to operational issues, office furniture, as fixed assets, is disposed of in bulk. Recyclers acquire these items and resell them under the name of "retired" chairs.

In terms of price, differences in second-hand "retired" office chairs mainly stem from two aspects:

• Generational Differences: Technological upgrades in different generations of products lead to price differentiation. For example, the initial Mirra and Mirra 2 have significant price differences in the second-hand market due to improvements in design and materials.
• Lack of Warranty: Second-hand chairs do not come with an official warranty, and buyers need to bear the repair risks themselves, so their prices are usually lower than those of brand-new products.

Retired Office Chairs in Government Procurement

In government procurement scenarios, "retired office chairs" do not refer to second-hand products but rather new chairs purchased by departments such as veterans affairs bureaus to meet office needs. For example:

• In November 2024, the Lijin County Veterans Affairs Bureau purchased 5 office chairs from Lijin Xinyuan Furniture City, with a transaction amount of 1,900 yuan and a unit price of approximately 380 yuan per chair.
• In April 2026, the Xinli Subdistrict Office of the Dongli District People's Government in Tianjin purchased 4 regular office chairs from Tianjin Xiqing Jianghe Furniture Factory, with a contract amount of 0.11 million yuan and a unit price of approximately 275 yuan per chair.
• In September 2026, the Lanling County Veterans Affairs Bureau purchased 2 office chairs from Lanling Yuxi Furniture Store, with a transaction amount of 790 yuan and a unit price of approximately 395 yuan per chair.

Such procurements are oriented towards cost-effectiveness, with suppliers mostly being local furniture companies and products mainly being basic models to meet daily office needs.