The Ikea kitchen that you never get tired of

Photo: IKEA

At the Swedish furniture giant, they are flirting with the idea of not selling kitchens anymore, but renting them. They are currently testing the idea with customers in Switzerland.  

To create a pleasant home is a great challenge and often also a life project. When we choose a home and »anchor« somewhere, we fill our haven with equipment that reflects the spirit of the time in which the home was created, often in the illusion that the initial splendour will be eternal.

Photo: IKEA

But, of course, it is not. Cabinets lose their shine, the kitchen counter has traces of our recipes, chairs become loose... And our taste also changes. Thus, it is quite likely that the initial enthusiasm over the pink kitchen will eventually fade. 

Since people are visual beings, we also feel with our eyes. And when we no longer like something completely, it affects our degree of comfort. One of the solutions to maintain the fascination for your home and the well-being within it, is to periodically swap equipment with a furniture subscription. The existing providers of such services, among which is e.g. Feather, will probably soon be joined by the most popular furniture manufacturer in the world - Ikea.

At first, Ikea will probably offer kitchens, office chairs and tables, and if consumers show enough enthusiasm, the repertoire will soon expand.

At the moment, the Swedish giant is testing its »furniture circulation« model in Switzerland. They are planning a simple system: the customer borrows a piece of furniture, returns it after the expiry of the rental period, and at the same time borrows another one. Returned furniture is then renewed by Ikea's masters and placed back on the shelves, thus prolonging the life of the products. 

If the experiment is successful and Ikea adopts the system, it will introduce into its business practice the principles of a circular economy that focuses on the reuse and recycling of products, thereby contributing (at least partially) to reducing the negative effects of consumerism on the environment. In the spirit of reducing the consumption of materials, it has already designed its kitchens so that they can be refreshed by replacing the door cabinets and drawers, without dismantling and replacing the entire frame.

Photo: Shutterstock

At Ikea, the subscription model is understood as leasing, or as a »different way of financing a kitchen«. They offer the consumer the opportunity to change, adjust or update the kitchen within a selected subscription package, by paying a certain amount for the product, taking care of it, and then transferring it to the next user.

According to the information so far, Ikea will - at least initially - rent out kitchens and office tables and chairs, while the further steps of the furniture giant will depend on the consumers' responses to the pilot subscription project in Switzerland.

If the Ikea's subscription package comes to life, consumers all over the world will also be able to choose kitchens that are »not forever«.

In a year or two, the fate of Ikea's subscription model will almost certainly be known. If it does come to life, consumers all over the world will be able to choose kitchens that are not forever. And, of course, meatballs will definitely be included.