IKEA, the world’s largest furniture chain, will buy back used versions of its best sellers next month – from Black Friday (November 27th) to December 3rd. The “Buy Back” initiative will begin that day – when usually retailers offer their most significant sales of the year – as a counter-attack to excessive shopping.
The company said:
By making sustainable living simpler and more accessible, Ikea hopes that the initiative will help its customers take a stand against excessive consumption this Black Friday and in the years to come.
Do something Green on Black Friday.
Between 24 Nov – 3 Dec, you can sell your old @IKEA furniture back to us – and we will give it a new home.
If we can't resell it, we will recycle or donate it to community projects to help those most affected by Covid-19. #BuyBackFriday pic.twitter.com/g0o7dqiShx
— Pia Heidenmark Cook (@PiaHCook) October 13, 2020
All you have to do is bring back the item you no longer want or need. Among the pieces you can return: chairs, stools, Billy bookcases, desks, and dining tables – all without upholstery. They are to be returned fully assembled to the returns desk. The offer will run in 27 countries.
When you return the furniture, you’ll receive a voucher that can be spent at its stores worth 30%, 40%, or 50% of the original price. The amount you get depends on the condition of the item being returned. Things with no scratches will get 50%, whereas items with scratches will get either 40% or 30% depending on how many. Anything that isn’t in good enough condition to be resold will be recycled.
There will eventually be a dedicated area for buying second-hand items in every store. And actually, many vintage IKEA products have been going for thousands of dollars on auction websites. The company’s first collection was launched in 1948, and some older designs can only be acquired second-hand.
This new plan is part of IKEA’s steps to becoming more eco-friendly. It aims to become a fully circular business (one which recycles or reuses materials and products) by 2030.
The Swedish giant also announced plans of opening 50 new stores worldwide. It currently runs 445 stores. The lockdowns helped them sell even more furniture. People were stuck at home, so they wanted to make the space nicer to stay in. The company reported sales of €39.6bn (£36bn) in the first eight months of 2020.
