Ikea is bolstering its environmental credentials with the launch of a new initiative which will enable customers in the UK to sell their unwanted furniture back to the retailer and “live more sustainably”.
The “Buy Back” scheme will open for business on Friday November 27, timed to coincide with this year’s Black Friday event, and shoppers will not even have to take apart all of the screws from the notoriously unpronounceable and tricky-to-assemble flatpack furniture.
Customers can visit Ikea.co.uk and submit a return request for their unwanted items, before taking the product to their local store’s returns and exchanges desk.
Depending on the condition of the furniture, customers will then receive a non-expiry refund card to spend in store. Items which are “good as new” and have no scratches will see returners receive up to 50% of the original value of the item.
This drops to 40% for items with minor scratches, and 30% for items with visible signs of wear and tear.
The furniture will then be sold in a new “As Is” section, formerly the “Bargain Corner”, while any items in such poor condition they can be resold will be recycled by Ikea.
Ikea UK’s country sustainability manager Hege Sæbjørnsen said: “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.
“Currently, 45% of total global carbon emissions come from the way the world produces and uses everyday products, so Buy Back represents an opportunity to address unsustainable consumption and its impact on climate change.”
Last week, the Swedish flatpack giant vowed to increase its home shopping operation after the retailer’s CEO admitted that “online saved us” during lockdown.
The Ikea Family loyalty scheme has over 52 million members and operates throughout Europe, the Far East and the US.
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