Ikea is set to test an online version of its buy-back service, offering vouchers for unwanted secondhand furniture. The service will be piloted in Spain and Portugal before the end of December, with a UK launch if it proves successful. The retailer already operates buy-back in stores, including in the UK, but the online version aims to reach a wider audience.
Pre-owned market growth
Ikea predicts pre-owned goods will capture 16% of the UK homewares market by next year. The announcement comes as the world's largest furniture retailer takes on Vinted and eBay with its own secondhand online marketplace, which launches in the UK this week. The platform is already live in other countries, including Spain and Portugal, featuring bestsellers like the Kallax shelving system and Malm chest of drawers. It allows shoppers signed up to Ikea's membership scheme to connect directly with one another to buy and sell pre-owned items locally.
Free at launch, fee later
The UK service will be free initially, but a "buyer protection fee" of about 5% of an item's price will be introduced in time. At launch, buyers and sellers will arrange collection or delivery directly with one another through the marketplace. Ikea said it is exploring ways to make delivery easier in future.
"The secondhand market is growing and growing. It is now really significant," said Greg Lucas, sustainability manager at Ikea's UK & Irish division. "Secondhand browsing and shopping is now mainstream."
Market value and competition
The secondhand home products market is now worth more than £4.5bn in the UK, growing at about 6.5% annually. Ikea said its products account for about 9% of furniture sold on secondhand marketplaces in the UK. The company is making it easier to sell used versions of its products by providing pre-filled product descriptions and price suggestions, and offers sellers 15% extra on the price if they accept payment in the form of an Ikea gift card.
In 2025, 63% of UK consumers bought products through reselling platforms, up from 51% in 2024. The trend has boosted sales at Vinted, Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, and smaller sites such as Vinterior. eBay recently bought UK fashion seller Depop for $1.2bn (£900m). Preloved items now make up about a tenth of global fashion sales. Electrical goods retailers Currys and AO also sell pre-owned items, with AO expanding after acquiring MusicMagpie in 2024 and buying camera specialist Jessops, which controls the Camera Jungle secondhand site.
