From second-hand Billy bookcases to cheaper meals, Ikea is leaning into its low-cost roots as cash-strapped Canadians look for more affordable ways to furnish their homes and feed their families.
asserted
Canadians → lean → families
The Swedish retailer says it’s doubling down on affordability by expanding its used-furniture business, keeping restaurant prices low and wringing savings from sustainable product design and supply chain efficiencies.
asserted
it → say → design
Two of Ikea’s top executives sat down with The Canadian Press to discuss how the retailer is trying to deliver more value as Canadians grapple with high costs for housing, food and other expenses.
asserted
Canadians → sit → housing
Ikea Canada chief executive and chief sustainability officer Selwyn Crittendon said the retailer’s sell-back program, which gives customers store credit for gently used Ikea furniture that is then resold, is growing quickly.
asserted
that → say → furniture
The retailer is pushing for sales taxes on second-hand furniture to be eliminated in Canada, arguing it would encourage consumers to reuse and repair goods rather than send them to landfill.
asserted
it → push → landfill
“These goods are well loved, they’re well used and they probably have a couple blemishes,” Crittendon said.
asserted
Crittendon → love → blemishes
“Why do you also pay a second-hand tax on that good?”
asserted
you → pay → good
The used furniture program is part of Ikea’s broader focus on so-called circularity, which includes the store’s as-is marketplace and developing products with more sustainable and recycled materials.
asserted
which → use → materials
Juvencio Maeztu, president and chief executive of the Ingka Group, the largest global franchisee and operator of Ikea stores, says that stable, low prices remain at the core of the business.
asserted
prices → say → business
“We don’t like these yo-yo prices based on an offer here and there,” he said.
asserted
he → like → offer
“We want to have as much as possible everyday low prices.”
asserted
We → want → prices
In many markets, consumers are spending 40 to 50 per cent of their salaries on housing, with many people living in smaller homes or shared living situations, Maeztu said
However
asserted
Maeztu → spend → homes
, just because people might not have a lot of money doesn’t mean they only want to buy cheap things, he said.
uncertain
he → mean → things
“You want things to be long-lasting,” Maeztu said.
asserted
Maeztu → want → ?
“You want to squeeze the value out of the money you have in order to have a better life at home.”
asserted
you → want → home
Ikea’s products are built around five dimensions: design, functionality, quality, sustainability and low price, Maeztu said.
asserted
Maeztu → build → dimensions
“It’s not low price at any cost,” he said.
asserted
he → ’ → cost
As household budgets are squeezed by high living costs, Ikea appears to be refocusing on its budget-friendly origins, built on flat-pack furniture and minimalist Scandinavian design.
asserted
Ikea → squeeze → furniture
“We sell umbrellas and we like — and we love — to reduce the price of the umbrella when it’s raining because this is when people need it the most,” Maeztu said.
asserted
Maeztu → sell → it
Recent financial results show Ikea is bringing more shoppers into the store even as overall sales decline.
asserted
sales → show → store
In Canada, retail sales fell 2.5 per cent last year while store visits rose 1.6 per cent and online traffic jumped 11.2 per cent.
asserted
traffic → fall → Canada
Globally, Ikea sales grew 2.6 per cent as retail sales slipped one per cent.
asserted
sales → grow → ?
“Success is not made on revenue growth,” Maeztu said.
asserted
Maeztu → make → growth
“It’s also made on how many homes have Ikea products because this is a way that we can ... support a better life at home.”
asserted
we → make → home
Ikea opened its first store in Canada almost 50 years ago, on Oct. 2, 1976, in Richmond, B.C.
In the run up to its 50th anniversary, the retailer has introduced offers such as $1-breakfast.
asserted
retailer → open → breakfast
Indeed, the restaurant appears to be a key draw as Canadians grapple with ongoing cost of living concerns.
asserted
Canadians → appear → concerns
“A family of four today can still shop at Ikea and for under $30 eat in our restaurant,” Crittendon said.
asserted
Crittendon → shop → restaurant
“If you haven’t tried the new plant balls or the plant dog, come join us.”
asserted
you → try → us
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 18, 2026.
asserted
report → publish → Press
The Aporia
