Marketing & Communications Consumer Behavior Change

UK Electronics Retailer Reminds Shoppers ‘Black Friday Is a Load of Rubbish’

New research shows Brits will spend £3.5B on tech they don’t need this Black Friday, with 1 in 5 using new tech for only four months. CeX’s campaign reminds shoppers about the mountains of tech waste created by the annual shopping frenzy.

Published 5 days ago | About a 4 minute read

Image: Little Black Book

This week, just days ahead of Black Friday, a bright red garbage truck rolled through some of the busiest shopping areas in London. Packed with discarded electronics, the truck — emblazoned with the message, “Black Friday is a load of rubbish” — stopped outside major retailers in areas including Piccadilly Circus and Regent Street to remind holiday shoppers about the mountains of tech waste created by the annual shopping frenzy.

The stunt is part of a campaign launched by CeX — the UK’s leading secondhand electronics retailer — after just-released national research by the company revealed that Brits are set to spend over £3.5 billion on tech they don’t actually need during this year’s Black Friday sales. The average shopper said they expect to splurge a whopping £202.11 on electronics, with a total estimate of over £5 billion nationwide. Only a third (30 percent) of respondents claim they ‘very much’ need the items they buy, meaning only £1.5 billion (.07 percent) of the purchases are strictly necessary.

The campaign — created by London PR agency Here Be Dragons — is the latest in a growing number of brand efforts to call attention to the environmental impact of overconsumption during Black Friday and urges shoppers to make more mindful purchasing decisions. Along with more conscious shopping habits, consumers must also become more aware of the impacts of the avalanche of returns retailers inevitably contend with after the holidays — which creates its own mountain of waste, leading to significant logistical, environmental and economic impacts.

“Black Friday is when people are often tempted by discounts, but it’s also an opportunity to consider the impact of what we buy. Our research shows that much of what’s bought ends up discarded within months, and over £3.5 billion worth of unnecessary items are destined to gather dust,” a CeX spokesperson said. “That’s why we’ve introduced our five-year warranty and sent a rubbish lorry through London — to help people make more mindful choices and keep their purchases in use for longer.”

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The survey, which polled over 2,000 UK adults, also discovered that almost half (48 percent) of people in the UK said they wouldn’t consider buying secondhand electronics — 47 percent of them are concerned about the quality of these secondhand items, and 35 percent said they feel put off by limited warranties or return policies. In response, CeX has introduced its industry-leading five-year warranty, currently the longest offering on the market, to address these concerns and provide shoppers with greater confidence in secondhand tech through extended guarantees.

“There can be a worry attached to buying secondhand products — especially in huge sales such as Black Friday,” the CeX spokesperson added. “We want to remind people that there’s a smarter way to purchase by shopping around for quality, secondhand tech that can save money, reduce waste and keep gadgets in use for longer.”

Image credit: Little Black Book

The other side of the red garbage truck carried the message: “Tech lasts longer with CeX,” highlighting the value of secondhand electronics backed by CeX’s 5-year warranty and quality assurance. The brand’s call to action for shoppers is clear: Choose tested and warrantied, high-quality secondhand gadgets to keep functional devices in circulation and reduce waste — not just during the holiday shopping frenzy, but year-round.

The research also revealed that a fifth (20 percent) of UK residents only use their new tech for about four months after purchase, and over a third (35 percent) buy items just to stay up to date with the latest trends. And Black Friday discounts appear to be a major driver of these habits — 45 percent of British shoppers admitted they are motivated purely by the lower prices.

The poll also discovered that headphones (22 percent), laptops (20 percent), smartwatches (19 percent), and mobile phones (18 percent) are among this year’s most sought-after Black Friday purchases. Yet, with over half (57 percent) of Brits admitting they have up to eight unused gadgets sitting at home, CeX is urging consumers to make more conscious shopping and usage decisions and ensure technology stays in use for as long as possible.