ONE HOME, ONE PLANET

Working Towards Sustainability with IKEA

 Lee Peterson

Estimated Read Time: 3 Minutes

We recently completed our second study which highlights a significant desire among consumers to visit physical stores more frequently if they carried used merchandise. This study echoed the findings of our initial study, which was done in conjunction with IKEA and presented at NRF’s Big Show in January 2023. It’s clear; there’s a strong consumer demand for stores to carry used. They want it in all types of stores, from Big Box to Hardware to Specialty and Department Stores. The results were definitive.

These studies were centered around improving circular commerce for all products. But they also underscored a notable benefit: they proved that the potential for used goods to boost foot traffic at stores, a multi-year dilemma for retailers.

IKEA’s Commitment to Sustainability

Our longstanding efforts to bring sustainability into the conversation enabled us to join the Ingka One Home, One Planet (OHOP) in Washington DC for the second time. Led by IKEA’s North America CEO Javier Quinones and COO Rob Olson, the OHOP meetings serve as collaborative work sessions aimed at tackling the sustainability challenges we all encounter and opportunities to connect people that can help each other do something about them.

Read our article on the first OHOP session we attended here. And if you didn’t already know, IKEA is making huge strides towards their sustainability efforts outside OHOP sessions. Learn more about their efforts in our WDCast with Seana Strawn, IKEA’s Head of Home Furnishing Identity & Retail Design. Listen here!

The OHOP Initiative: Collaborative Action for Sustainability

The DC conference and work sessions, akin to previous OHOP events, brought together execs from around the world and from all backgrounds, including construction, supply chain, product creativity, merchandise production and product circularity.

OHOP’s objective is to develop actionable solutions that all stakeholders, including competitors, can implement NOW. We dedicated entire days to brainstorming these solutions and devising strategies for how to enact them.

By fostering such collaborations, Ingka / OHOP is creating something special—an environment where companies like WD Partners (focused on product circularity and sustainable construction) can engage in meaningful dialogue with entities like the EPA, identifying obstacles to sustainability and co-creating solutions that benefit all parties involved. This collaborative spirit was present in all the sessions and disparate work groups throughout the event. The open dialogue provided avenues for more successful, sustainable work in the future.

Looking Ahead Towards a Greener Future

We are thrilled to be working with OHOP to make forward strides towards sustainability for our planet. Lots to do, sure, but when you put together the right people, it makes goals that much easier to achieve.

Thanks, Ingka, OHOP, and of course Javier and Rob, for making these events happen. Positive results created by collaborative work will have a more immediate effect on true sustainability going forward. Here’s to the next one!