Ikea trials furniture leasing instead of buying – but it’s not available in the UK yet
Ikea in Switzerland is looking at hiring out furniture in a bid to enable customers to "buy, care for and pass on products"
IKEA customers could soon be allowed to rent furniture instead of buying under new plans from the Swedish flat-pack company.
A pilot project by the retailer in Switzerland is looking at hiring out furniture in in a bid to enable shoppers to "buy, care for and pass on products".
Desks and office chairs are among the items that will be offered for hire in the scheme - first aimed at business customers - but leases on kitchens could also be a possibility later on.
Ikea in Switzerland told The Sun that it plans to start the scheme in the first quarter of this year.
The trial is the first in a series of tests that Ikea hopes could lead to subscription services for different types of furniture.
It wouldn't share details on exactly how the scheme will work, such as whether it'll be cheaper than buying, and whether you pay in advance or in monthly instalments.
Ikea also kept schtum on what will happen if customers damage the furniture before they hand it back or whether the scheme will be available to all customers eventually.
A spokesperson for Ikea in the UK would only tell The Sun that the pilot scheme in Switzerland is in "very early stages".
The retailer said: "We have an ambition to inspire and enable people to play an active role in making the circular economy a reality, which we can support by developing new ways for people to buy, care for and pass on products.
"In certain markets, such as Switzerland, we’re exploring and testing potential solutions and have a pilot project to look into the leasing of furniture, but it’s still too early to confirm exactly what this will look like."
Ikea in the UK currently offers customers a service where it takes your existing bed, mattress, sofa or appliance for a fee of up to £20. It then gives it to low income families in need of support.
In 2018 it also handled over 1million orders of spare parts to help repair products for a longer life, Ikea said.
More on money
Last year, the furniture retailer started opening smaller stores on the high street as it hoped it would attract more shoppers.
Meanwhile, an auction website claims Ikea furniture could be worth thousands of pounds in the future.
In the end of last year, Ikea announced it plans to axe 350 jobs in the UK during the next two years.
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