Rather than send those unwanted Kallax shelving units to landfill once you're done with them, you may soon be able to pocket some extra cash from Ikea. The furniture giant has decided to dip a toe into the used furniture marketplace with a new online platform named Ikea Preowned.
Ikea Preowned is being launched by the Ingka Group, which is the largest Ikea franchisee (it controls 367 stores of the 473 in total). The driving force behind it is that the firm has noticed there's a lot of money being made from used furniture on sites like eBay and Craigslist. Indeed, Ingka Group says 10% of the used home furnishing market is made up by Ikea products. However, it also gels nicely with Ikea's overriding goal of reducing landfill use and waste.
The platform is currently undergoing a trial in Madrid, Spain and Oslo, Norway. According to the BBC, it will roll out globally sometime next year.
"The test will go on until December and during this time, we will be continuously interacting with users to understand customers' behaviors and interests towards a digital second-hand marketplace, as well as what it would mean for us from a business perspective," says Jesper Brodin, Ingka Group CEO. "After December we will evaluate and decide on the next steps."
For the seller, it's free to list items on Ikea Preowned, and the setup offers recommended prices, professional photos, and precise measurements for its furniture. Each listing also includes product descriptions, assembly guides if needed, and maintenance instructions.
The seller has the choice of being paid directly into their bank upon successful sale or receiving an Ikea voucher with 15% additional credit, while buyers get their hands on some cheaper furniture – plus the best part is they don't necessarily have to deal with the hassle of putting it all together since the majority of furniture will be offered pre-assembled.
Source: Ikea Preowned