IKEA has announced that it is launching a pioneering used furniture ‘Buy Back’ scheme next month in an attempt to promote recycling.
The Swedish furniture giant’s second-hand venture intends to buy back the items of its furniture that you no longer want or need in exchange for vouchers that are worth up to 50% of the original price of the piece which can then be spent at its stores.
The Buy Back initiative will launch in the UK to coincide with Black Friday on 27th November.
Offering an insight into the how the scheme will work on its website, IKEA said: “We’re giving furniture a second chance at life [because] contributing to a healthier planet is one of our key priorities here at IKEA [and] all of our products will be made from recycled or regenerative materials by 2030.
“We can help you give your IKEA product a second life at our Circular Hub and you could get a voucher for your efforts.”
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By making sustainable living more simple and accessible, IKEA has stated that it hopes the initiative will help its customers to “take a stand against excessive consumption this Black Friday and in the years to come”.
So, how exactly does it work then?
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Wikimedia Commons
The international scheme is set to run in 27 countries.
It applies to furniture typically without upholstery – such as the famous Billy bookcases, chairs, stools, desks and dining tables – and will see customers given vouchers of a value to which will depend on the condition of the items they are returning.
Customers wishing to return items through the scheme must log the item they wish to return via the online calculator here, where they will then be given an estimate of its value.
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According to the initial criteria laid out by IKEA, items that are “as new” items – which means they are presented with no significant scratches – will get a voucher for 50% of the original price, “very good” items with minor scratches will get 40%, and then “well used” – which will likely pertain to items with deep or several scratches – will get a 30% voucher.
IKEA has said that anything that cannot be resold will be recycled.
They should then return them – fully assembled – to the returns desk at a participating IKEA store, where they will be checked, have the final value agreed upon, and the voucher issued.
The trail is currently only running at IKEA Edinburgh and Glasgow, but details of further stores across the UK – to which the North West region is anticipated to see a participating venue – will be announced ahead of the scheme’s full launch on Black Friday, so keep your eyes peeled.
You can find more information about the IKEA Buy Back scheme here.
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Manchester has been named one of the most ‘affordable’ cities in the UK – this is why
Emily Sergeant
A list of the top 10 most affordable cities in the UK has been revealed, and Manchester has made the cut for one very specific reason.
On a bit of a budget? Aren’t we all.
The cost of living crisis has been raging on for quite a few years now, and unfortunately, despite how much we all wish for it to, it doesn’t appear to be slowing down – with prices for everyday items, especially typical fridge and cupboard stables, shooting up by the day, even though supermarkets are showing efforts to prevent it.
And it’s the noticeable price increases in groceries that led delivery insurance provider, Street Cover, to uncover which UK cities don’t strain your food shopping budgets too much just yet.
As it was found that food and non-alcoholic drinks inflation reached 1.3% this past summer, a new study has revealed that Sheffield is officially the most affordable city in the UK, with several other northern locations on the list.
Manchester has been named one of the most ‘affordable’ cities in the UK / Credit: MCC | Aldi
The study compared the 2026 Grocery Index for the largest UK cities with the UK average, as well as available 2025 Grocery Indices, to track the changes in food affordability.
The cities are ranked by the index difference from the national average – which is 67.3 – but the report also uses direct monetary values for a grocery basket to provide some additional context too.
Manchester took sixth place on the list, with an average grocery basket price of £23.08, while some of the other northern cities in the top 10, besides Sheffield at number one, include Liverpool, Leeds, and Newcastle.
Top 10 Most Affordable UK Cities For Groceries
Sheffield
Milton Keynes
Liverpool
Reading
Newcastle
Manchester
Leeds
Bristol
Cardiff
Southampton
As the only other North West city in the top 10, Liverpool may have come in third place overall, but the study found that the grocery bill here is the smallest in terms of actual monetary numbers – with it setting shoppers back £22.08 for a regular supermarket basket, which is a whole £1 cheaper than in Manchester.
“Data shows households in the North East of England have the lowest average food spend in the country, around 11% below the UK average, while Yorkshire sits 6.6% below,” Al Taylor, who is the Head of Street Cover, commented on the study’s findings.
“Sheffield’s position at the top reflects lower property costs for retailers, less competition from premium chains, and a supermarket landscape dominated by value-led options.
“The practical implication for household budgets is significant – the difference between budget and premium shopping can easily be £1,000 or more per year for a family, which can be spent on other things or saved for future plans.”
Featured Image – Aldi
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Mancs wanted to take part in a new series of the ‘hardest quiz show on TV’
Emily Sergeant
Call yourself a clever clogs? The BBC is currently looking for contestants to take part in what is widely considered the hardest quiz show on TV.
That’s right – Only Connect is back for another series on BBC Two.
Presented by Victoria Coren Mitchell and first broadcast all the way back in 2008, Only Connect takes TV quizzing to the next level, as it sees two teams compete against each other by finding connections between seemingly unrelated clues.
In this quiz show – which viewers have dubbed one of the most challenging there is – knowledge only takes you so far, as the ability to think laterally is also deemed ‘vitally important’.
A casting call for the upcoming 2027 series has been shared on the BBC website, with people from Greater Manchester encouraged to apply.
Mancs wanted to take part in a new series of the ‘hardest quiz show on TV’ / Credit: BBC
The casting call reads: “The popular BBC Two quiz show presented by Victoria Coren Mitchell returns for a new series in 2027.
“Only Connect is seeking teams of three players OR single applicants or teams of two looking for like-minded teammates to pool their combined wits to solve fiendish conundrums and vexing puzzles.
“This is the quiz series where, as in life itself, knowledge will only take you so far: patience and lateral thinking are also vital. It’s all about making connections between things which may appear, at first glance, not to be connected at all.”
Reckon you’ve got what it takes then? Applications are now open, and all applicants must be aged 18 or over and a resident in the UK or Channel Islands.
Emily Sergeant -
19th October 2020 
