Ikea, the Swedish furniture giant, has entered the second-hand market with the launch of its own online platform, "Ikea Preowned," aimed at competing with well-known resale sites like eBay and Vinted. This new platform is currently being tested in Madrid and Oslo, with plans to expand in the future.
Recognizing the growing consumer interest in the circular economy, Ikea has decided to keep the resale of its furniture within its own ecosystem. Jesper Brodin, CEO of the Ingka Group, which operates Ikea stores, explained that the company aims to develop a platform that becomes "essential for furniture," challenging the dominance of existing resale platforms.
Unlike Ikea's in-store second-hand sales, which the company fully controls, "Ikea Preowned" facilitates peer-to-peer transactions. The platform allows sellers to post items with photos and set their prices, with Ikea contributing additional data and images from its database. Buyers collect the items directly from sellers, who can receive payment in cash or via Ikea gift vouchers with a 15% bonus on the sale price.
This initiative complements Ikea's existing buy-back service, where customers can sell used Ikea products directly to the store. In Belgium, Ikea has already hosted large-scale flea markets at its stores to promote second-hand shopping.
Currently, sales on "Ikea Preowned" are free for both buyers and sellers, though Ikea may introduce a small fee in the future. While the platform is still in its testing phase and only available in select cities, Ikea plans to expand it further, though it won't be available in other markets until 2025.
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