Ikea, the Swedish retailer known for its meatballs and affordable furniture, is taking a different approach to outfitting interiors with a new concept store.
The company will open its first secondhand store later this year in Sweden’s ReTuna mall, a retail complex completely made up of resale stores. The move was first reported by The Local. The new store will sell previously owned furniture and home goods that have been refurbished for purchase.
The resale store is part of a larger push by the brand to become completely circular by 2030. Last year, Ikea launched a program to lease its kitchens and furniture, and many of its stores also have “bargain” sections of refurbished returned items. This will be the first store completely made up of refurbished items.
It’s easy to imagine that the store is a strategic move to correct for the perception that Ikea is the fast fashion of furniture. While the low cost of Ikea furniture has always made it super accessible, it rarely gets a second life. I can’t imagine passing down my Hemnes dresser as a family heirloom, but I did recently put an Ikea coffee table on the curb after a move (though the table was picked up in mere minutes—that’s New York City’s recycling ecosystem for you.) The low cost and inexpensive materials make it seem much less precious.
