IKEA just announced they’re expanding their second-hand furniture marketplace all across Europe.

This is almost weird, because IKEA doesn’t NEED to do it.

Their core business is thriving.

Their margins on new furniture are healthy.

There’s no obvious financial pressure pushing them into the high-maintenance, unscalable pre-owned market.

Yet there they are, going head-to-head with eBay and Depop for furniture that’s already been sold once.

The initial tests in Madrid and Oslo showed promise — 200,000 website visitors and “a couple thousand engaging.” Not needle-moving numbers for IKEA, but enough to reveal something important:

Customers DO want this option from brands they trust.

We’re seeing the same pattern with Apple‘s certified refurbished program, Levi’s SecondHand Denim initiative, and Canada Goose‘s “Generations” resale platform.

These aren’t desperate moves. They’re strategic expansions.

What makes IKEA’s approach different is their voucher system. Sellers can opt for store credit worth 15% MORE than the sale price — and the majority are choosing this option.

It’s actually pretty crafty.

It creates a beautiful, possibly even virtuous cycle:

• Customers clear out their used IKEA furniture, leaving room for something new
• They get vouchers worth more than cash
• They spend those vouchers on new IKEA products
• Eventually, those products enter the second-hand market

So for IKEA, the “sustainability” play is more about customer lifecycle extension.

(And possibly also to deflect accusations like the one from Greenpeace about the company’s impact on deforestation. Call me a cynic.)

Action for today: Can your product have a second life? Even if resale isn’t your core business, controlling the secondary market for your products might open surprising opportunities.

Need help exploring new market extensions? Let’s chat about finding growth beyond your primary business — pop over to Graphos Product or just tap reply.

Laurier

Product Payoff: Patagonia‘s Worn Wear program began as a sustainability initiative. But before long it revealed an unexpected benefit: First-time customers who couldn’t afford new Patagonia gear started with pre-owned items, creating a more accessible gateway to brand loyalty. Now 31% of Worn Wear customers become full-price buyers within a year.