Kill two birds with one stone by getting rid of old furniture and buying new pieces at an affordable rate with IKEA Australia’s Buy Back Friday programme, on from November 25 – December 5, 2021. For the second year running, the retailer is allowing customers to give back IKEA products in exchange for up to 50% of the product’s original value that can then be used towards a new IKEA purchase.
Last year’s Buy Back Friday programme saw 10,000 products returned in one week, with 85% of the items going on to be resold. The initiative alone helped to divert a potential 178 tonnes of waste from landfill.
With its Buy Back programme, IKEA hopes to show people that taking positive steps towards a more sustainable life can be both affordable and convenient. Giving used items a second life and buying pre-loved products are just some of the actions we can take to lower our climate footprint.
“It’s clear the interest Australians have in the second-hand economy is growing, and we see a strong demand from our customers for pre-loved IKEA products,” says Mellisa Hamilton, Sustainability Manager for IKEA Australia. “We’re selling these products just a quickly as we’re receiving them returned from customers in the Buy Back service.”
In early 2022, IKEA Australia is set to pilot a new ‘as-is’ online platform that’ll let customers browse pre-loved IKEA products online and ‘reserve’ items they wish to buy before heading into the store. The platform will aim to keep products in use for as long as possible and help to promote systems of reuse and sharing in a circular economy.
So, how exactly does the IKEA Buy Back Friday programme work? Well, first, you’ll need to sign up to become an IKEA Family Member (it’s free!).
Then, you’ll need to head to the IKEA Buy Back site before December 5, 2021, and enter in details about your product, checking that it ticks all the requirements. Bed frames, electrical appliances, lighting and textiles and, of course, non-IKEA products aren’t eligible for the programme. The product must also be clean and free of stains.
Once you’ve entered in its details, you’ll then need to return the furniture between November 25 and December 31, 2021 to get a refund card that you can use on your next IKEA purchase. Sounds like a sweet deal to us. Note that due to COVID, the programme is currently suspended in Victoria.
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