Black Friday: Think before you buy

Black Friday. It's not a bargain if you don't really need it

As Black Friday approaches, it’s easy to get swept up in the excitement of deals and discounts. But before clicking “buy now,” ask yourself: do I really need this?

Every year, millions of items bought during Black Friday are purchased simply because they seem like a bargain, but which aren’t actually needed. A lot of unnecessary purchases find their way into the bin, and this causes an annual surge in waste in the period between Black Friday and the New Year.

To help you avoid overspending and buyer’s regret, we’ve listed a few things to consider before splurging in the sales:

Can you reuse rather than buying new?

The best bargain might be something you already own, something pre-loved or something you can get on loan.

Could you reuse, repair or upcycle an existing item instead of replacing it?

Have you checked what you’ve already got to avoid duplication?

Could you rent, hire or borrow an item instead of buying it?

In Leicestershire, there are fantastic local services to help:

🛋️ Furniture Reuse Organisations – donate or buy second-hand furniture and appliances

🧵 Wear, Care and Repair – tips and events to help you repair and extend the life of your clothing

🗺️ Waste Prevention Map – find local reuse, refill and repair services near you.

Men and Women in sheds groups – community-led repair and upcycling projects

🔌 Leicester Fixers – volunteer-run repair events for electricals and more

🧰 The Fix It Group 23 – repair cafés in Mountsorrel and Cropston

Can you reduce the chances of returning your purchases ?

1 in 3 consumers go on to return some of their Black Friday purchases within 30 days. Each return represents extra transportation and makes our roads busier, requires extra packaging materials to protect items during transportation, and sadly, the returned products are often wasted, as relatively few returns are re-sold.

Can you “try it before you buy it” by visiting a physical shop?
Have you researched customer reviews to make sure your expectations of the item are realistic?
Have you checked to see if you are happy with what the retailer does with their returns? Check their policy on selling returned items.

Is the item you want to buy likely to last a long time?

Is it good quality, durable and easy to maintain?
Is it repairable?
Is it likely to become obsolete or fall out of fashion quickly?
Is it made by a reputable company with a strong focus on sustainability?
Is the item recyclable at the end of its life?
Is the packaging the item comes in recyclable?

Items that have a lower environmental impact by design, which last a long time, can be repaired, and which can be recycled when they eventually reach the end of their useful lives result in much less waste, generally have a lower environmental impact, and often represent better value than alternative items with a shorter useable life.

Can you reduce delivery packaging?

Can you buy the item locally instead of having it delivered to your door?
Can you reduce the number of separate deliveries / combine delivery to reduce the number of deliveries required and the amount of packaging materials needed?
It the packaging used by the retailer recyclable?

If you are replacing an item, what are you going to do with the old one?

Can you repair, sell or donate unwanted items rather than dispose of them?
Can you recycle it or safely dispose of it?

Bringing something new into your home often means that an older item is being displaced. Your unwanted item could still be of use or value to someone else, so it’s worth checking before recycling or binning your unwanted items.

Leicestershire residents can: