Ikea is moving further into the resale market with a new members-only venue for reselling Ikea furniture and homewares. The company says listed items will average around 60% less than buying new.
The rollout gives shoppers another way to save on furniture and homewares while making it easier for existing customers to pass along Ikea pieces they no longer need.
Here's what to know
Only members of Ikea's Ikea Family loyalty program can use the new marketplace to list qualifying second-hand Ikea furniture and homewares, according to STV News.
Some categories are off-limits: Ikea says mattresses, appliances, and food cannot be resold through the platform, though other home furnishing products can.
Creating a listing starts with scanning an eligible item, which lets the platform fill in much of the information automatically. That includes suggested pricing, product photos, measurements, descriptions, assembly instructions, and care details.
Sellers can still choose their own asking price, even though Ikea's recommendations are calculated from a share of the item's original price and its condition.
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Sellers can receive their proceeds in cash or opt for an Ikea gift card with a 15% top-up. The company's Buyers Protection Fee will be free.
More background
Ikea's new marketplace expands on the Buy Back scheme it introduced in 2021, which allows customers to return certain items to the retailer in exchange for store credit.
Ikea plans to trial bringing the Buy Back option onto the platform in Spain and Portugal.
It also brings Ikea into closer competition with established resale marketplaces such as eBay and Vinted.
Rather than opening a broad resale space, Ikea is creating a dedicated channel focused entirely on its own products, complete with original product data and instructions.
"The way people furnish their homes has changed. Whether they are moving, redecorating or looking for a particular piece, more customers are considering pre-owned furniture alongside new and are actively searching for items that can help create a home that feels personal to them," said Greg Lucas, sustainability manager at Ikea UK and Ireland, per STV News.
What's being done?
Ikea is trying to remove several common barriers that come with secondhand furniture sales.
Scanning an eligible piece means sellers do not have to build a listing entirely from scratch, because Ikea supplies much of the measurements, photos, and descriptive information.
Buyers can also order spare parts through the platform, including restraint brackets to secure furniture to walls. Access to spare parts could extend the usable life of older items and make secondhand purchases more practical and safer to set up at home.
Having official assembly instructions, care information, and measurements attached to used items could make it easier to compare options and buy with more confidence than on a general resale site.
Where can I learn more?
Ikea's new marketplace is part of a broader push to keep furniture in use longer and make secondhand shopping easier. These stories cover its buy-back efforts, sustainability moves, and other ways old furniture stays in use.
• Ikea's Buy Back and Resell program already lets customers return qualifying furniture for store credit.
• Across its business, Ikea is testing secondhand-only store concepts and other ways to cut waste.
• Old Ikea shelving gets high-end-looking cabinet makeovers as owners choose reuse over replacement.
• Secondhand furniture still delivers upscale pieces at unbelievable prices when shoppers look beyond big retailers.
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