DON’T MISS
IamExpat FairIamExpat Job BoardIamExpat Webinars
Newsletters
EXPAT INFO
CAREER
HOUSING
EDUCATION
LIFESTYLE
EXPAT SERVICES
NEWS & ARTICLES
Home
Expat Info
German news & articles
Ikea Germany will now buy your used furniture back off you
Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy

Ikea Germany will now buy your used furniture back off you

Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy
or
follow us for regular updates:



Related Stories

[Video] How a German supermarket is eliminating food waste[Video] How a German supermarket is eliminating food waste
Which German supermarkets use the most plastic packaging?Which German supermarkets use the most plastic packaging?
Shops in Germany push for more freedom to open on SundaysShops in Germany push for more freedom to open on Sundays
German discount supermarkets cut prices of meat-free productsGerman discount supermarkets cut prices of meat-free products
You can now dispose of old electrical items at German supermarketsYou can now dispose of old electrical items at German supermarkets
July 2022: 15 changes affecting expats in GermanyJuly 2022: 15 changes affecting expats in Germany
Inflation rate in Germany hits 50-year highInflation rate in Germany hits 50-year high
Software error leaves German shops unable to accept card payments for daysSoftware error leaves German shops unable to accept card payments for days
For expats of all colours, shapes and sizes

Explore
Expat infoCareerHousingEducationLifestyleExpat servicesNews & articles
About us
IamExpat MediaAdvertisePost a jobContact usImpressumSitemapRSS feeds
More IamExpat
IamExpat Job BoardIamExpat HousingIamExpat FairWebinarsNewsletters
Privacy
Terms of usePrivacy policyCookiesAvoiding scams

Never miss a thing!Sign up for expat events, news & offers, delivered once a week.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy


© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
Jul 20, 2019
Abi Carter

Editor in chief at IamExpat Media

Abi studied German and History at the University of Manchester and has since lived in Berlin, Hamburg and Utrecht, working since 2017 as a writer, editor and content marketeer. Although she's happily taken on some German and Dutch quirks, she keeps a stash of Yorkshire Tea on hand, because nowhere does a brew quite like home.Read more

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that you can’t go into an Ikea and come out with just one thing. We’ve all been there: you only pop in for a bookshelf, but before you know it, it’s three hours later and you’re the lucky owner of two chairs, a fetching throw, several scented pillar candles, three enormous cushions, a bottle of GLӦGG and a kitchen gadget you never knew you needed. 

But, what happens next time you want to go back and your house is already full of BILLY bookcases and LACK side tables? Fortunately for us all, Ikea seems to have wised up to its unsavoury reputation as a retailer of throwaway goods and is now fighting for a more sustainable image. 

Ikea’s “Second Chance” project buys unwanted goods

Accordingly, all 53 Ikea stores in Germany are now taking part in its “Second Chance” project, a scheme that ensures that unwanted furniture can continue to be used by other people. You can now sell your used goods back to Ikea, who will then resell them at discounted prices in their “treasure trove”. 

On the Ikea Germany website, you can find the Second Chance (Zweite Chance) portal, which contains a catalogue of over 1.000 products eligible for the buyback scheme. The list includes only Ikea original furniture, and focuses on particularly popular products such as dining tables, chairs, chests of drawers, coffee tables and side tables to increase the chances of resale. Products not listed in this directory cannot be resold. 

How does the scheme work?

To sell your unwanted items, you can submit a request via Ikea’s Second Chance portal. Only items that have been looked after will be eligible for resale, although a little bit of wear and tear is perfectly acceptable. The item’s overall condition will be used by Ikea to calculate a price offer, ranging from 30 to 50 percent of the original purchase price. 

Once you’ve completed the online steps and accepted the offer, you can bring your item into your local Ikea store to be checked over and exchanged for a voucher that can be spent in-store. We only hope it’s valid for the meatballs…

By Abi Carter