Of course, you can simply take things you no longer need to the bulky waste. Or you can make others happy with them - and try to sell them on!
Circular economy or "Circular IKEA" is now also an important topic at IKEA Germany. Under the motto "Second Chance", IKEA began in September 2018 in five pilot stores to buy back used furniture according to certain criteria. Due to the great response and lively participation, this service will now be extended to all 53 stores in Germany from 15 July.
On the experience so far in the five pilot stores, Christiane Scharnagl, Sustainability Manager at IKEA Germany, says: "Our customers are happy to take up the offer and we have been able to integrate the service well into the processes in the participating stores."The fact that there is a market for used furniture is shown by the sales in the lost and found: the vast majority of products find a new owner within two days.
3.5 million products that were no longer saleable in the regular assortment found a new owner in the lost and found section in the past fiscal year 2018. Of these, 55 percent were exchanged merchandise and 35 percent were display items. The items were sold at a discount of around 40 percent.
IKEA isn't the only one happy that customers are taking advantage of the new opportunities - NABU (Naturschutzbund Deutschland e.V.) also welcomes the expansion of the service. "Customers who decide to buy used furniture are sending a clear signal for environmental protection and nature conservation," says Leif Miller, NABU's national director.
How exactly does it work?
IKEA has defined around 1,000 items from particularly popular product groups - such as dining tables and chairs, chests of drawers or couch and side tables - that are eligible for buyback. These products are listed in an online portal set up for this purpose. Customers who want to use the service go to this page via IKEA.de/zweitechance, select the product they want to give away and answer questions about its condition.
Interested parties then immediately receive a non-binding price proposal - easily, quickly and without further negotiations. With this proposal, the customer then comes to the return desk in the furniture store together with the assembled product. If the condition of the product corresponds to the details given online, the customer receives a credit card to the value of the price suggestion. Generally, only products that are in perfect to good condition are eligible for buyback.
How is the price determined?
The price at which the product is bought back by IKEA depends on the condition of the product. The suggested price is 30 percent of the new price for a product in at least good condition and 50 percent for a product that is like new. In the treasure trove, the product is then offered at exactly this buyback price plus VAT. So IKEA doesn't make any money at this point.
What's the advantage over selling on, say, Ebay Classifieds?
IKEA doesn't want to be a competitor to Ebay Classifieds or other online platforms. Instead of just providing the marketplace for a resale, they want to take care of the entire selling process for the customer so they don't have to do the work. In the end, however, the main goal is to extend the life of the product.
