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IKEA emails customers with hint of UK launch of new service

IKEA is set to launch its own second-hand marketplace in the UK

[Reading, United Kingdom - February 06 2020: The Bright logo of the Swedish Furniture superstore Ike in Pincents Lane]

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IKEA bills the marketplace as a new perk(Image: Roger Utting Photography via Getty Images)

IKEA is preparing to bring a new way of buying and selling used furniture to Britain, telling millions of IKEA Family loyalty members that a dedicated second-hand platform is on the way. The retailer says the IKEA Second-hand Marketplace is due to launch in September, giving customers a place to pass on unwanted items rather than dumping them or relying on general resale sites.

In an email to members, IKEA bills the marketplace as a new perk and promises a safe and simple space where your beloved IKEA pieces can find a new home. The company is also updating IKEA Family terms and its privacy policy ahead of the rollout, signalling the service is close to going live for UK shoppers.

The move would put IKEA into the same space as Facebook Marketplace, eBay and Gumtree, but with the focus firmly on its own products - from Kallax units and Billy bookcases to Pong chairs and more.

Although new to the UK, the idea is already established elsewhere. The IKEA Second-hand Marketplace is currently running in several European countries including Sweden, Spain, Norway, Portugal, Poland and Belgium, and shoppers in Luxembourg can also use it via the Belgian version.

[Madrid, Spain, December 21, 2024: Ikea brand sign with blue sky background, photo with copyspace.]

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Once a listing is live, the seller and buyer arrange the handover between themselves(Image: Jose Miguel Sanchez via Getty Images)

IKEA says the platform is built to make listing items straightforward. In Belgium, for instance, sellers can upload a photo or scan an IKEA product and the system can generate pre-filled details such as product information, a suggested price, a ready-made description, professional photos and measurements to help complete the advert.

Once a listing is live, the seller and buyer arrange the handover between themselves, agreeing where and when the furniture changes hands. Access is limited to IKEA Family members, meaning people will need to sign up for the free loyalty scheme before they can use it.

IKEA has also built in measures aimed at reducing the risk that often comes with online selling. In countries where the marketplace operates, payments go through IKEAs own system and are held until the buyer confirms the item has arrived. After that, the funds are kept for a further 48 hours before being released to the seller.

Buyers can challenge a purchase if what turns up is significantly different from the listing. Only genuine IKEA items that are safe and usable are meant to be sold through the service. Some categories are excluded - including food, mattresses and kitchen appliances - and adverts are reviewed before they appear on the marketplace.

In some countries, IKEA also offers an extra carrot for sellers: they can take the money as a bank transfer or opt for an IKEA gift/refund card and get 15% extra to spend with the retailer. The new marketplace sits alongside, but is different from, IKEAs existing Buyback scheme. Under Buyback, IKEA purchases qualifying furniture directly in exchange for store credit and then resells it. With the peer-to-peer marketplace, one customer sells straight to another.

The rollout across Europe is expected to grow substantially. IKEA said in January it was aiming for 170,000 listings on the marketplace during 2026 as it continued expanding the service. For UK households, the appeal is clear: the next clear-out, house move or redecorating project could turn old IKEA furniture into money, rather than another item to haul to the tip.

And for shoppers hunting a deal - or trying to track down older and discontinued pieces - a dedicated IKEA-only platform could make browsing far quicker than sifting through unrelated listings elsewhere. IKEAs UK website already highlights services such as Buyback and its Re-shop and Re-use options, but the peer-to-peer marketplace has not launched in Britain yet. The latest message to IKEA Family members suggests that is about to change.

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