If you’d rather not brave the gauntlet that is an Ikea warehouse, the company has a new online marketplace for selling and buying used Ikea furniture.As The Financial Times reports, the home furnishings giant is testing IKEA Preowned in Madrid and Oslo until the end of the year.Here’s how it works: Just like on eBay or Craigslist, customers will be able to upload photos of the furniture they’d like to sell and set a price for it. After detecting the images uploaded, Ikea’s AI will add the original product images and measurements. Buyers can look at both sets of images, place an order, and pick up the product directly from the seller.According to the FT, sellers can either accept money or an Ikea voucher with a 15% bonus. Listings are currently free, but Jesper Brodin, CEO of Ikea parent company Ingka Group, told the FT that the company could charge a “symbolic fee, a humble fee” in the future. The vouchers are also “a good way to reconnect with customers,” he says.
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Brodin speculates that Ikea Preowned could help cut into the “monopoly” of other online marketplaces. Plus, it helps the company’s climate goals.As it is, used furniture is gaining popularity in the European region. According to a survey conducted by YouGuv in 2023, 53% of participants in Sweden and 55% in Great Britain were in favor of buying second-hand furniture.
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About Jibin Joseph
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Jibin is a tech news writer based out of Ahmedabad, India. Previously, he served as the editor of iGeeksBlog and is a self-proclaimed tech enthusiast who loves breaking down complex information for a broader audience.
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