Research commissioned by the Swedish flat-pack furniture retailer indicates that more than four in five adults in Wales purchase second-hand items.
The survey, conducted to coincide with the introduction of the company’s UK resale marketplace, established that 82 percent of Welsh adults engage in pre-owned shopping.
Among those buyers, 38 percent have acquired furniture through such channels.
Respondents from Wales estimated the total worth of unused domestic and outdoor furnishings stored in their properties at an average of £222.
These figures have emerged alongside IKEA’s launch of a dedicated marketplace enabling members of its complimentary loyalty programme to trade the retailer’s used furnishings directly between themselves.
The platform accommodates both current and discontinued IKEA home products while prohibiting mattresses, electrical appliances, consumables, altered pieces and items subject to recall.
Merchandise from competing brands falls outside the scheme’s scope.
Vendors obtain compensation via bank transfer or an IKEA digital reimbursement card enhanced by a 15 percent value addition.
The company claims that listing prices on the marketplace typically sit 60 percent below those of equivalent new merchandise.
The online initiative follows the introduction of the retailer’s in-store Buyback & Resell programme in 2021, which enabled shoppers to surrender qualifying furniture in return for store credit.
The fresh digital service supplies sellers with recommended valuations, product imagery and dimensional specifications to facilitate listing creation.
Purchasers additionally obtain access to assembly documentation and maintenance guidance.
Greg Lucas, sustainability manager at IKEA UK and Ireland, observed that increasing numbers of customers are contemplating pre-owned furniture when relocating, undertaking home improvements or seeking specific designs.
He noted that purchasing habits regarding home furnishings have shifted, with more consumers evaluating second-hand options alongside new purchases whether moving residence, redecorating or searching for particular items.
The Welsh survey results additionally revealed that 18 percent of adults considered a personal narrative or provenance attached to a piece would heighten its appeal.
Separate national data referenced by the company indicated that 63 percent of consumers purchased through resale platforms during 2025, representing an increase from 51 percent the previous year.
Over half of respondents, at 52 percent, had sold goods via digital channels within the preceding twelve months, while 60 percent stated that cost considerations motivated their second-hand acquisitions.