As part of Ingka Group's ongoing campaign to 'Keep good things going', several IKEA Retail countries, including Belgium, France, and Sweden, are turning their IKEA store car parks into flea markets to encourage more customers to prolong the life of their products.
Photo: Ingka
'Last year over 211,600 customers used our Buyback service to sell back IKEA products they no longer need, so this is another fun way to carry on that initiative,' says Karen Pflug, Chief Sustainability Officer, Ingka Group.
First launched in 2023, 'Keep good things going' is a campaign to promote and inform customers on how to care for and pass on IKEA products when they no longer need them and is an opportunity for IKEA retail countries to engage with customers and remind them of the different services available online and in their local IKEA store. The campaign highlights the IKEA Buy Back Service and the As-Is areas and includes some IKEA Retail countries holding flea market events outside stores.
'At Ingka Group, we firmly stand by the idea that all furniture deserves a longer life and flea markets are an excellent way to pass on products and are good for the wallet, while enjoying a day out with your friends or family. We are always looking for innovative ways to reduce waste and support our customers to buy and sell second-hand. Last year over 211,600 customers used our Buyback service to sell back IKEA products they no longer need, so this is another fun way to carry on that initiative,' says Karen Pflug, Chief Sustainability Officer, Ingka Group.
All kinds of IKEA furniture and other objects can be sold at the markets, and they can be a fun day out for everyone looking for a bargain. In April, IKEA Retail Sweden was one of the first Ingka Group countries to hold flea markets across their store car parks, in 2024, with many people looking for a bargain and giving products a second life.
'We see a big interest in our yearly flea markets across Sweden, and we are proud that so many take the opportunity to prolong the life of their products, whether they're IKEA products or not. The initiative is part of our wider strategy to explore and test how to make our products and circular services affordable and accessible for customers,' says Johanna Nordell, Sustainability Manager at IKEA Retail Sweden.
Similar activations will be seen in stores across Belgium, France, and South East Europe. In France, 19 stores will participate and the flea market in Belgium will be the largest organized by IKEA Belgium, taking place on Saturday 8 June 2024 in eight IKEA car parks.
More information:
Ingka
www.ingka.com