Ikea expands secondhand marketplace to Sweden, now live in five European countries

Ingka Group, the largest Ikea retailer, is launching its secondhand marketplace in Sweden on 28th January. The platform will then be available in five countries: Spain, Norway, Portugal, Poland, and Sweden.

Ingka Group is aiming to reach 170,000 listings in 2026. Following pilots in Spain and Norway, and after launching in Portugal and Poland in 2025, Ikea says it has gained valuable insights into customer preferences, pricing models, and operational challenges in the secondhand market. These have helped shape the launch in Sweden. The retailer’s workers have been the first sellers and ambassadors, before opening up to the wider public.  

“With the launch of Ikea’s secondhand marketplace in Sweden, we’re taking a meaningful step toward unlocking an even more affordable Ikea range while making it easy for customers to prolong the life of their items. Our ambition is to build the most vibrant and inclusive community where people connect with each other and with Ikea to make home furnishing pass-on easy, accessible, and rewarding,” says Kirsten Andersson, Managing Director for Platform & Marketplaces at Ikea Retail (Ingka Group).

“In markets where the service is already live, we’ve seen strong demand for bedroom furniture, storage solutions, and living room seating. It’s especially encouraging to see customers returning to buy or sell more items from the Ikea range.”

She adds: “We’re witnessing a cultural shift where buying secondhand furniture is no longer stigmatised. It’s stylish, smart, and socially accepted. With half of people donating unwanted items and two in five reselling them, the rise of resale and donation culture reflects changing values across generations.”

“In response to this shift, we aim to simplify and enhance secondhand buying and selling experience by providing a platform where customers can buy and sell secondhand products directly from each other. This aligns with evolving customer expectations.”

Sellers can participate by scanning their Ikea product, after which the platform takes care of the rest. They receive instant price recommendations, product photos, and accurate measurements. Each listing includes detailed descriptions, assembly guides, and care instructions. Sellers can choose between receiving cash or boosting their earnings with a 15% topped up Ikea digital refund card. 

2026 RTIH Innovation Awards

Sustainable retail will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards will open for entries in April. They celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Thursday, 15th October.

Check out our 2025 winners here.

Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”

“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”

He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”

Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.