IKEA is trialling an on-line marketplace where customers can connect to buy and sell pre-owned items made by the Swedish furniture manufacturer.
The marketplace, called Ikea Preowned, will run until December and be centred on the cities of Oslo, Norway and Madrid, Spain, according to emailed comments by Tolga Oncu, the head of retail at Ingka Group, the group’s largest franchisee.
The venture into the so-called circular economy comes as the maker of billy bookshelves aims to become climate-positive by the end of this decade. The investment arm of Ingka has also invested heavily in renewable energy as it seeks to slash emissions along its value chain.
While the pilot platform will be free for customers to use initially, “eventually we could charge a symbolic fee,” a spokesperson for the retailer said.
The roll out of the online marketplace was earlier reported by The Financial Times. BLOOMBERG
