IKEA to launch groundbreaking campaign this Black Friday to 'buy-back' its old furniture from customers

The campaign, #BuyBackFriday, will run between 24 November and 3 December across IKEA Retail stores in 27 countries and will promote and develop circular services and sustainable consumption for customers.

Customers taking part will receive an IKEA voucher to spend on something they need or love, which could be worth up to 50% of the original price. Anything that can't be resold will be recycled or donated to community projects to help those most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

If this global experiment is a success, the aim is that by 2021 there will be dedicated destinations in every store where people can sell back their old furniture and find repaired or refurbished furniture at even more affordable prices.

It is a country decision and IKEA Retail U.S. will not participate in the buy-back program, they are currently exploring ways to bring it to the country in the future. This year, they will use the traditional Black Friday to focus on other sustainability initiatives and to promote sustainable living among their customers.

"We want to offer customers' sustainable solutions for their furniture they no longer need, even if it's served them well over the years," says Stefan Vanoverbeke from Ingka Group. "So, we are currently exploring new business models to develop commercially viable and scalable offers in the areas of how people bring things into their home, how they care for things they own, and how they pass on the things they no longer need."

He adds: "Rather than buy things you don't need this Black Friday, we want to help customers give their furniture a second life instead of making an impulse buy."

Currently, 45 per cent of total global carbon emissions come from the way the world produces and uses everyday products like furniture, so the campaign represents an opportunity to address unsustainable consumption and its impact on climate change, on the biggest shopping day of the year.

"The IKEA vision has always been to create a better everyday life for many people, which right now means making sustainable living easy and affordable for everyone. Being circular is a good business opportunity as well as a responsibility and the climate crisis requires us all to radically rethink our consumption habits," adds Pia Heidenmark Cook from Ingka Group.

"A circular economy can only be achieved through investment and collaboration with customers, other businesses, local communities and governments, so we can eradicate waste and create a cycle of repair, reuse, refurbishment and recycling," she concludes.