IKEA Houston launches program that could turn old furniture into store credit | How it works

IKEA Houston now offers a buy back program for used furniture. Here’s how shoppers can sell old IKEA items and receive store credit.

HOUSTON — If you have old IKEA furniture sitting around your home, it might actually be worth something. A program now available at the IKEA Houston store allows customers to sell back used IKEA items in exchange for store credit.

The Buy Back & Resell program is designed to give furniture a second life while helping reduce waste. Instead of throwing away old desks, shelves or dressers, customers can return them to IKEA, where the items may be resold at a discount.

KHOU 11’s Cheryl Mercedes explained how the program works in a recent KHOU 11 Short.

“OK, if you’ve got old IKEA furniture just sitting around your house, don’t throw it out. You actually might be able to get something for it,” she said. “The IKEA store in Houston is part of a program where they’ll buy back your used IKEA furniture and give you store credit. Now, here’s how it works. You go online first and get a price estimate for your item. Then you bring the fully assembled piece into the store. They’ll check the condition and give you a final offer.”

The program allows customers to submit an item online to receive a price estimate before bringing it into the store. Once the furniture is inspected and accepted, shoppers receive store credit.

“And the cool part, IKEA will resell that furniture in their as is section, so someone else can buy it at a discount, instead of having it end up in a landfill somewhere” she said. “So, if you’ve got some old IKEA desk, bookshelf, or dresser just sitting there collecting dust, it might be worth checking out and give you a little store credit for something new too.”

The returned furniture is then placed in IKEA’s “As-is” section, where other customers can purchase it at a lower price.

IKEA recently expanded the program, adding more than 700 additional eligible products. The company now accepts more than 2,800 IKEA items for resale, including furniture and other home goods such as glassware and picture frames.

The company says the initiative is part of a broader effort to reduce furniture waste. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates about 9 million tons of furniture end up in landfills each year.

Demand for secondhand IKEA products appears strong. According to the company, most resale items are purchased within 48 to 72 hours after being placed in stores.

The Buy Back & Resell program began as a pilot at a single location before expanding nationally. In recent years, the number of items returned to IKEA stores has grown significantly, increasing from about 8,000 in 2023 to nearly 14,700 in 2025.

IKEA says the program helps extend the life of its products and supports its goal of becoming a more circular business model — where items are reused, repaired or resold instead of discarded.

For Houston-area shoppers, the program now offers a new option for clearing out old furniture while earning store credit for something new.