With a huge petition against waste, a shiny site revamp and hundreds of new durable products, 2023 was one for the books!
As the year draws to a close, we’re looking back on the articles you’ve been reading the most. From product reviews to decluttering tips, our blog has had more activity this year than ever. But what were your top reads?
Buy Me Once has had a fantastic year, and we couldn’t have done it without you. Whether you’ve bought from us, subscribed to our emails or simply read our content, we’d like to offer a heartfelt thank you - and a happy 2024 - from the BMO team.
1. Can she fix it?
Our top-read article this year was our CEO’s review of one of 2023’s most popular new products: FixIts. These nifty repair sticks - which you may have spotted on BBC's Dragons' Den or The Customer is Always Right - are an easy way to fix snapped plastic, missing parts, chips, holes and more.
FixIts had a big thumbs up from the research team, but Tara was keen to try them out herself. “As someone who has ranted about things breaking too often for the last 10 years,” she says, “I’m always interested when I hear about innovative fixing solutions.” See how Tara got on with repairing her laptop charger (and keeping her pen in one place) below.
Can She Fix It? Our CEO Tries FixIt Sticks
2. The Right to Repair
Our second most-read article of 2023 was actually from last year, but it’s more relevant than ever. In this piece, we discuss the EU’s Right to Repair legislation: a plan to make repairing products easier, cheaper and more convenient for consumers in Europe.
This article is a great explainer for what the new EU rules could look like, and some of the issues at play. There have been some delays to the rollout since this was written - the hope now is to finalise all the requirements by June 2024. But that’s still miles ahead of the UK, which, unsurprisingly, is lagging behind.
Right to Repair: What’s Happening in the EU?
3. Cooking on different pan types
We sold a LOT of pots and pans this year. Our three favourite pan types - cast iron, stainless steel and enamelled - are designed to last a lifetime and more. But if you’re used to using non-stick pans, they can take a little getting used to.
This educational piece was designed to help our customers cook successfully on buy-for-life pans, from brands such as Solidteknics, SAVEUR Selects and Samuel Groves. It’s full of tips to help prevent sticking and achieve delicious results every time, for decades.
How to Cook on Our Three Favourite Pan Types
4. Our petition to end pointless waste
It’s no surprise that one of your top reads of 2023 was about our Love Stock Hate Waste campaign. This summer, we launched a huge Change.org petition - which you can still sign here - aiming to end the shameful practice of destroying unsold goods. Over 16,000 of you signed, and over 100 CEOs took our pledge.
This article outlines the problem - and our proposed solution - to this shocking waste stream. We also conducted several interviews with the fantastic business owners who made the Love Stock Hate Waste promise, such as the founders of Elvis & Kresse, Suri and Luks Linen.
Our Petition Aims to End the Trashing of Unsold Goods. Will You Sign?
5. How to start buying less stuff
Do you frequently give in to impulse purchases? Are you stressed out by your own clutter? Give this article a read. This popular piece takes seven core tips from A Life Less Throwaway: the manifesto of Buy Me Once founder Tara Button.
Believe it or not, Tara used to be quite the shopaholic, with her impulse buying habit even racking up some significant credit card debt. After a lightning bolt moment involving a cast iron pot, Tara went on to develop a philosophy that completely changed the way she thought about her belongings.
How to Start Buying Less Stuff
6. What is cotton?
Everyone can picture a field of fluffy white plants, but how much do you really know about cotton? For our most popular ever instalment of the Material Stories series, we took a deep dive into this ubiquitous fabric.
In this article, we discuss topics like the thread count myth, the murky world of ‘Egyptian cotton’ and the question of cotton’s sustainability. If you’re someone who has always just gone with 100% cotton = good, you might want to give this a read.
Material Stories: What is Cotton?
Did you miss any of these? If you'd like to hear about our research, advice and new product launches, sign up to our newsletter today - you'll be in with a chance to win a £100 gift card too. Happy new year!
