What: Ingka Group has launched its Ikea Family secondhand marketplace in the UK and Ireland, with Germany to follow on October 14, after six other markets generated 15 million visits and 95,700 listings by August 31, 2026.

Why it is important: Ikea is building resale into its own ecosystem rather than leaving it to third-party platforms, at a time when secondhand is growing far faster than the broader market and the 60% price gap makes it a direct affordability lever.

Ingka Group, the parent company of Ikea, launched its secondhand marketplace in the UK and Ireland on October 7, with Germany to follow on October 14. The rollout builds on six markets (Spain, Norway, Portugal, Poland, Sweden and Belgium), which recorded 15 million visits and 95,700 listings up to August 31, 2026.

Pre-owned Ikea products on the platform sell at an average of 60% less than new equivalents, a priority given the importance of affordability for the retailer's customers. Members of the Ikea Family programme can buy and sell pre-owned products directly with each other, and sellers can either sell to another customer or take the product to an Ikea store. Ikea products are estimated to account for 9% of the home furnishing secondhand market in Europe.

Ikea will also test a buy-back service in Portugal and Spain by the end of December, allowing customers to sell eligible pre-owned products to Ikea. Emily Birkin, Ingka Group development and transformation manager, said the data shows clear interest and described direct sales to Ikea and delivery partnerships as practical next steps.

IADS Notes: Resale has moved from the periphery to the mainstream of retail, with technology, loyalty programmes and digital authentication turning it into a profitable and scalable channel (Forbes, April 2026). Secondhand apparel is growing roughly four times faster than the broader apparel sector and is projected to approach $79 billion by 2030, while US department stores lose share and increasingly partner with resellers (Retail Dive, May 2026). Vinted's rise to become the UK's third-largest fashion retailer, with over 17 million customers, showed how peer-to-peer platforms outpace brands' own resale efforts on price and operational simplicity. In-house resale also faces logistical hurdles such as quality control and merchandising (Retail Week, February 2026). Adoption is not confined to low-income shoppers: 52% of UK households earning over £80,000 used Vinted in the past year, against 34% of those earning under £20,000. Secondhand goods sales grew 28.4% over three months while clothing sales volumes rose only 0.6% (Retail Week, September 2026). Affordability pressure is also visible at Ikea itself, which is investing €1.2 billion in European price cuts aimed at cost-conscious shoppers after two consecutive years of declining revenue (Reuters, September 2026).

Ikea launches secondhand marketplace in UK and Ireland