Wholesale Ikea tests online second-hand market

The furniture retailer Ikea is testing an online second-hand market. The platform is initially available in Madrid and Oslo.

Since Monday, the "Ikea Preowned" platform has enabled direct trade between customers who want to buy and sell used products from the Swedish group. The test phase in the capital cities of Spain and Norway will run until the end of the year, Ikea CEO Jesper Brodin was quoted in the "Financial Times" (FT).

If the test is successful, "Ikea Preowned" will be introduced worldwide. The platform would compete with online marketplaces such as Ebay or Craigslist.

The project has been "a dream for some time", the managing director of Ingka, the main operator of Ikea stores, told the FT. Ikea has reached a point "where we can do more progressive and cooler things". There is great confidence in the company's digital development.

Lifespan of Ikea products to be extended

For some time now, it has been possible to sell used furniture at Ikea, which the company then resells in its own stores. The Group is now increasingly focusing on digitalization to promote sustainability.

The aim is to reduce the production of waste and extend the lifespan of its own products, emphasized Brodin. With "Ikea Preowned", you can offer a product for sale with your own photos and a price. Ikea adds further information (such as dimensions, new price or advertising images).

The goods must be collected directly from the seller. In Madrid, for example, you could buy a used three-seater Kivik sofa for 332 euros on Monday. That is 217 euros less than the new price in Spain (549 euros). In total, more than 450 products were for sale on the new platform at the start of the test phase in Madrid.

SDA