Ikea expands its furniture buy-back program to all U.S. stores

Ikea has spent half a decade developing a buy-back and resale division that converts used Ikea furniture into store credit for customers. Beginning in September, the option will be available at every full-format U.S. Ikea store, launching first at the Brooklyn location, according to Bryan Walker, country product quality manager for Ikea US. Over the past five years the program has taken back about 53,000 items, which are evaluated online, then inspected in-store; some pieces require cleaning or minor repairs before being displayed in the As-Is area.

A used black Kallax bookcase with minor scratches, for example, can fetch $69.65 in credit, while a new version sells for nearly $300. The resale aisle offers cheaper alternatives to new stock and also includes higher-end designs like pieces from the Stockholm collection and a vintage Signatur executive desk from the 1980s. Participants tend to visit Ikea stores about 50% more often in the following six months, suggesting the initiative boosts customer loyalty and represents a growth opportunity for the retailer.