IKEA Expands Second-Hand Furniture Offering in the U.S., Accelerating Circular Economy Ambitions

CONSHOHOCKEN, PENNSYLVANIA — IKEA, the global furniture retailer known for flat-pack innovation and sustainable strategies, has significantly expanded its second-hand furniture offering in the United States by adding roughly 700 additional product lines to its Buy Back & Resell program. This latest development is part of IKEA’s larger circular economy agenda — one that encourages reuse, reduces waste, and provides customers with accessible, affordable furniture choices.

The expansion of the Buy Back & Resell program means that U.S. consumers now have access to a broader range of gently used IKEA products available for resale through participating stores and potentially online platforms. The retailer’s goal is to prolong the life cycle of products, helping items find new homes instead of ending up in landfills while also giving customers opportunities to save on quality furnishings.

A Growing Circular Strategy

This move aligns with IKEA’s global sustainability commitment to become a fully circular business by 2030, a strategy that encompasses production, consumption, and end-of-life management. Services such as Buy Back & Resell, combined with parts and repair programs, second-hand marketplaces, and sustainable design principles, reflect the company’s ambition to reinvent how furniture is consumed and reused.

Expansion of second-hand offerings has already been piloted in other regions — including Europe’s IKEA Preowned platform in cities like Madrid and Oslo — where customers can buy and sell used IKEA furniture peer-to-peer, and localized resale efforts like circular store concepts in Thailand.

Benefits for Consumers and the Planet

For shoppers, this expanded resale program means greater access to affordable furnishings, from living room pieces to storage and décor, without the premium price of new products. For the environment, extending the usable life of furniture reduces the need for raw materials, diminishes waste, and helps lower the overall carbon footprint associated with production and disposal. Larger initiatives like IKEA’s Buy Back & Resell have already seen success in multiple markets, with hundreds of thousands of returned pieces being refurbished and resold.

IKEA’s efforts to expand second-hand offerings also reflect a broader consumer shift toward sustainable consumption, where second-hand and refurbished goods are rising in popularity alongside traditional retail purchases. This aligns with wider industry projections that the global second-hand furniture market will continue to grow as sustainability becomes a more critical purchase driver.

WHY THIS MATTERS FOR THE FURNITURE INDUSTRY

IKEA’s expanded second-hand offering signals a shift in furniture retail toward sustainability and affordability. As more consumers seek eco-friendly and budget-conscious options, furniture brands that embrace circular economy principles — resale, refurbishment, and reuse — position themselves for long-term relevance and competitive advantage in an evolving market.