Ikea launching online marketplace for second-hand goods

It might not be as good as picking up those meatballs on your way home, but IKEA is launching an online marketplace for Aussies to buy and sell second-hand products.

The new ‘As-is’ scheme will be piloted, allowing their members to browse second-hand IKEA products online and reserve items they’d like to buy before then heading to the store to collect. It sounds like a real game-changer.

According to Mellisa Hamilton, IKEA Australia’s Sustainability Manager, the company are aiming to have the marketplace ready early in 2022. It will initially be available only to members but will likely be opened up to everyone else later.

Hamilton believed that a change in mindset in Aussie consumers was key to any success of the marketplace. “I think people will look at (used) items and (consider) maybe they’re not perfect anymore, but ask are they less valuable? Are they less useful? I think the shift of people understanding, I don’t need new all the time, and there’s nothing wrong with the item …,” she explained.

“And this is the thing that we’ve also received from our consumer insights is that they feel to make an individual action to support the people and the planet it tends to be more expensive and at a premium,” Hamilton added.

“But I think in terms of this action or this initiative is actually more looking at why pay full price for something new when I could get something just as functional just as beautiful.

Maybe it’s not directly out of a box, or maybe it’s barely been used, but you could get it at a cheaper price. So I think if we’re looking at that affordability piece and how we can also impact the planet this is probably a really good action that anybody can take.”