Ikea Portugal launches Buy Back Friday: instead of selling, it will buy used furniture back from customers

Black Friday this year will be different, at least in IKEA shops across Europe. This is because the Swedish furniture giant has decided to change things up in 2020 and won't be partaking in the usual Black Friday discount fever. For the first time in 77 year, IKEA shops in 27 markets will buy back pieces of IKEA branded furniture from their customers. Portugal is included, and the aim is to give a second life and a new home to these unwanted products . 

The Buy Back Friday campaign in Portugal will run from 24th November to 3rd December 2020, and is one of the actions that the Ingka Group is implementing "in order to transform its business and promote circular and sustainable consumption services in partnership with its customers," the company said in a statement.

For each sale, the customer will receive an IKEA Gift Card to be used in any IKEA Portugal shop within one year. The purchase price of used furniture items will depend on the type of item and its state of preservation, and can be up to 50% of the original price of the product. "During the Buy Back Friday campaign, IKEA Family members who sell their Ikea furniture will receive an additional 50% of the purchase price, in addition to the amount allocated to them".

The company continued to state that they "want to offer customers sustainable solutions and alternatives for items they no longer need, even if they have been useful, functional and helped to create memories over the years". Helena Gouveia, marketing director for IKEA Portugal, added that the company is "exploring new business models to develop commercially viable offers, attributing a longer life cycle beneficial to the products, from the moment of purchase to the moment that they lose relevance in our homes. And more than an impulse buy of items that we really don't need at home, during Black Friday 2020 we want to help customers give their furniture a second life and adopt more responsible consumption habits".

How IKEA's Buy Back Friday works:

Buy Back Friday works in conjunction with IKEA's new 2nd life service, and all customers need to do is follow these three steps, according to the brand:

• Step 1: Fill in the form

"Tell us what you want to sell us using our simple online form. When you fill out the form, you will immediately receive an estimate of the resale price of your used IKEA furniture," explains the company.

• Step 2: Bring the item(s) to the shop

The next step is to take this initial estimate and your used furniture to the Exchange and Returns Counter of your nearest IKEA store, where one of the employees will check the status of the furniture to confirm the final price valuation.

• Step 3: Receive a refund card

Once the verification is complete, customers will receive an IKEA refund card with the final amount awarded. This card can be used at any IKEA store for one year after the date of issue.