Ikea is trialling its personal second-hand on-line market in order that clients can promote to one another, somewhat than counting on buy-and-sell web sites like eBay or Gumtree.
Ikea Preowned is already up and operating in Madrid and Oslo, with the Swedish furnishings big planning to roll out the positioning globally by December.
It comes in opposition to the backdrop of a steadily rising marketplace for second-hand furnishings, garments and tools.
The motivation would match Ikea’s sustainability goals by reusing objects so they do not find yourself in landfill. It could additionally assist the agency make extra revenue from the resale of its personal items.
“After December we’ll consider and determine on the subsequent steps. We begin in Oslo and Madrid, but our ambition is larger”, a spokesperson mentioned.
Gross sales of used Ikea furnishings are highly regarded on on-line marketplaces together with Craigslist.
Upwards of 25,000 outcomes seem when looking “Ikea” on eBay, an internet public sale web site that specialises in resale but in addition sells new objects.
On Gumtree within the UK, over 10,000 outcomes are proven when looking for the retailer, whereas Shpock and Fb Market, each specialising in native resales, additionally returns dozens of pages of outcomes.
Up to now, environmentalists have referred to as out furnishings makers for the large quantity of plastic that builds up within the setting, harming marine wildlife. The issue is exacerbated by the onslaught of low-cost furnishings gross sales which encourage individuals to easily throw out furnishings they do not need, as it’s so low-cost to purchase new objects.
Inexperienced campaigners have burdened the significance of a round financial system, the place the goal is to reuse issues greater than as soon as. If an organization is chargeable for the resale of its personal merchandise, then there may very well be an in-built incentive to make objects extra sturdy, much less disposable, and subsequently extra sustainable.
Evolving its personal on-line market would additionally permit Ikea to focus much less on its brick-and-mortar shops – that are costly with excessive working prices – and extra in the direction of the rising sector of on-line gross sales and assembling providers.
Listings on Ikea Preowned are put up by the vendor, and Ikea’s algorithms generate the small print of the merchandise together with measurements and the unique retail worth.
The agency already provides, in a few of its shops, a service the place it sells pre-owned objects.
