C2C: Ikea’s plan to boost re-sale market

Sean Cao

3rd Sep 2024

Ikea is planning to open an online marketplace for customers to resell the company’s furniture, with trials already launched in Spain and Norway.

The second-hand marketplace, named Ikea Preowned, is part of the Swedish retailer’s efforts to strengthen its online presence, according to Ecommerce News.

Ikea Preowned will be a C2C marketplace, meaning that customers sell directly to other customers. Sellers can upload their products and set their own prices, while buyers will need to pick up the items at the seller’s address. 

Sellers will either receive payment or an Ikea voucher with a 15 per cent discount. Listing products on the marketplace is free, but the company intends to charge a fee in the future. 

Ikea has launched trials in Oslo and Madrid, which are expected to run until December. 

“We will be continuously interacting with users to understand customers’ behaviours and interests towards a digital second-hand marketplace, as well as what it would mean for us from a business perspective,” said Jesper Brodin, CEO at Ingka Group, the largest Ikea retailer.

The global second-hand furniture market is projected to achieve an annual growth rate of 6.4 per cent this year, Brodin stated, adding that 10 per cent of this market is made up of Ikea products.