IKEA has rolled out a new peer-to-peer marketplace in the United Kingdom, allowing customers to buy and sell pre-owned furniture directly with each other. The initiative, already active in Sweden and Spain, builds on the company's earlier Buyback & Resell service from 2021, which offered store credit in exchange for used items. Now, sellers can receive cash or a digital IKEA refund card with a 15% bonus.
The platform lets users list most current or past IKEA products, excluding mattresses, appliances, food, modified items, recalled goods, and non-IKEA furniture. Sellers scan an item to generate a listing, with recommended pricing, professional photos, and accurate dimensions provided automatically. Each listing also includes product descriptions, assembly instructions, and care details, making it easier for buyers to make informed decisions.
According to IKEA-commissioned research, more than one in four UK adults said a personal history or story would make pre-owned furniture more appealing. The company also cites data showing that 63% of UK consumers bought through resale platforms last year, a 51% increase from 2024, and that 60% say buying second-hand helps stretch their budgets.
“The way people furnish their homes has changed,” said Greg Lucas, sustainability manager for IKEA UK & Ireland. “Whether they’re 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.”
A complementary offer, or a greenwashing exercise?
While the environmental benefits of second-hand furniture are clear—keeping bulky items out of landfills, cutting manufacturing emissions, and reducing demand for virgin resources—IKEA's latest press release notably omits any mention of sustainability. Instead, the focus is on affordability and convenience, with prices on the marketplace averaging 60% lower than comparable new products.
Critics point out that IKEA introduces around 2,000 new products each year, earning it the label of a “fast furniture” brand. Environmentalists have long argued that the company's business model encourages frequent replacement rather than long-term use. A 2024 investigation by Greenpeace found that some IKEA suppliers sourced wood from Europe's last remaining old-growth forests in the Romanian Carpathians, including protected Natura 2000 areas. IKEA responded by reaffirming its commitment to responsible sourcing and zero deforestation.
An Ingka Group spokesperson, the largest IKEA retailer, told Euronews Earth that the second-hand marketplace is “complementary alongside our new product offer.” They added, “People’s homes, needs and budgets change. Sometimes they choose new, and sometimes a pre-owned product is a better fit.”
IKEA products already account for 9% of Europe's second-hand furniture market through other platforms, according to the spokesperson. The company clearly sees resale as a growth area, but it shows no sign of slowing down its production of new items. This tension raises questions about whether such initiatives are genuine steps toward circularity or merely a way to capture a growing market segment.
As Europe grapples with waste and resource scarcity, the debate over fast furniture is likely to intensify. For now, IKEA's latest move offers consumers a convenient way to extend the life of their furniture, but it does little to address the root cause of the problem: the relentless churn of new products. Whether the company will ever shift its core model remains an open question.
