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Homeware brand IKEA announced the launch of a take-back service at a store in Sydney, Australia in June 2018. Customers can fill in an online form and add photos of the furniture they want to exchange: IKEA then evaluates the product, and eligible items can then be taken back to the store to be resold in exchange for IKEA vouchers. The scheme aims to extend the life cycle of IKEA furniture, rather than products going straight to landfill.

IKEA has been leaning hard into the sustainability mega-trend since first launching its ‘People & Plant Positive’ strategy in 2012. The brand has previously announced that sales of its ‘sustainable life at home’ ranges tripled between 2013 and 2016; last month it committed to removing single-use plastics, offering plant-based food options and zero-emission deliveries. Fun fact: it also announced climate-related investments totalling EUR 1 billion, more than the eco-investment of its home nation of Sweden!

The bigger insight here is that trends might be long-lasting, but customer expectations never stay static. Of course, recycling isn’t a ‘new’ trend. But expectations in this area continue to increase, pushed relentlessly higher by both greater awareness and with every experience of more sustainable solutions. So while we’ve been tracking the RECOMMERCE trend for a good few years now, we continue to do so because – just like IKEA’s furniture – it just keeps on giving. 😉

Which long-lasting trends are you tracking in order to stay ahead of your customers’ expectations?

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