Ikea is preparing to move its longstanding buy-back scheme onto the internet, testing a digital version of the service that hands customers vouchers for unwanted furniture. The trial begins in Spain and Portugal before the end of December, with the UK earmarked as a likely next market if the pilot succeeds. The move sits alongside the launch of a peer-to-peer secondhand marketplace in the UK this week, placing the Swedish retailer in direct competition with established resale platforms.
From In-Store Trade-In to a Digital Marketplace
Ikea's existing buy-back service, available in stores including those in the UK, lets customers hand over used items in exchange for store credit. Taking that process online removes a practical barrier: shoppers no longer need to transport bulky furniture to a physical location to get an offer. That matters because much of the friction in secondhand furniture trading comes from logistics, not demand. Ikea's own marketplace, already running in markets such as Spain and Portugal, instead connects buyers and sellers directly, with Kallax shelving units and Malm drawers among the most traded items. It will launch in the UK as a free service initially, with a buyer protection fee of around 5% to be introduced later - a model familiar from other peer-to-peer platforms, which typically rely on such fees to fund dispute resolution and basic safeguards once transaction volumes justify the cost.
A Crowded and Fast-Growing Resale Sector
Ikea is entering a market already occupied by Vinted, Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree and higher-end furniture resale sites such as Vinterior. Electronics retailers including Currys and AO have also built out secondhand offerings, with AO expanding further through its acquisitions of MusicMagpie and Jessops. eBay's purchase of Depop underlines how mainstream resale platforms are being consolidated by larger players seeking a foothold in preloved goods. Ikea's UK sustainability manager, Greg Lucas, described secondhand shopping as having moved into the mainstream, reflecting a broader shift in how consumers furnish their homes - driven as much by changing tastes and household moves as by cost or environmental concerns.
What It Means for Consumers and Competitors
For shoppers, pre-filled product listings, suggested pricing and the option of a 15% bonus for accepting payment as an Ikea gift card are designed to lower the effort involved in selling used items - while also steering resale value back into Ikea's own retail ecosystem rather than cash in a buyer's pocket. That incentive structure is worth noting: it benefits consumers who plan to shop at Ikea again, but offers less flexibility to those who simply want cash.
For competitors, the entry of a manufacturer directly into resale of its own products is a notable shift. Unlike Vinted or eBay, Ikea has access to original product data, specifications and design history, which could make its listings more accurate and trustworthy than those on general marketplaces. With secondhand homewares estimated to make up a growing share of the UK furniture market, and Ikea products already accounting for a meaningful slice of items traded on existing resale platforms, the company has a clear commercial rationale for keeping that activity within its own ecosystem rather than ceding it to third parties.
Delivery and Trust Remain Open Questions
At launch, buyers and sellers will need to arrange collection or delivery themselves, a limitation that mirrors the early stages of most peer-to-peer marketplaces before logistics partnerships mature. Ikea has said it is exploring ways to simplify delivery over time. As with any marketplace connecting strangers for in-person transactions, questions around safety, payment security and dispute handling will shape whether the service gains the trust needed to scale - particularly once fees are introduced and the platform moves beyond its initial free period.