As some of you may know, I have certain opinions about IKEA and its business model.
Basically it’s fast-fashion and all the environmental smashing that comes with that, but with trees!
And also with “shit”. Lots and lots and lots of cheap “shit” that breaks just long enough after you bought it that you don’t hold them personally responsable, and happily trundle back to the store to repeat your purchace.
However, I do know that many people around me—including some that are going to read this I’m sure—have a life philosophy that if something is cheap, it’s ok to forget about all the reasons why it is cheap, as well as all the follow-on effects of it being so cheap. I’m not sure my raving will have any effect on such points-of-view (some people get offended when I insult IKEA because IKEA and its cheap stuff has somehow become a meaningful part of their life. This upsets me greatly). Here’s a recap of IKEA’s reasons (for being cheap) and effects (of being cheap and cheaply made):
Reasons why : Economies of scale; mass production; low wages; out-of-town big box cheap real estate (kills downtowns).
Effects of : Need to buy the product again every few years because it’s made of cardboard and spit; kills real jobs in the artisanal sector such as talented furniture-makers who can no longer compete on price; makes the world more uniform and boring (and tacky!); and concentrates wealth (as does Amazon).
I’m not an economist, but if all of our life strategies end up evolving to, “buy the cheapest thing that does the trick, for now”, a small number of people are going to continue to get rich from our behaviour (those controlling the scale economy—IKEA, Amazon, etc.), while more and more others will end up doing shitty low-paid jobs to keep the “good times” rolling.
The subsequent effect of this type of cheap economy is that eventually there’s going to be no-one with the cash to buy the things that pay your salary at your job. Basically, buying cheap no matter what is like shooting yourself in the foot. It’s just that the bullet sometimes takes a few years to hit bone, and you might not ever make the connection with your own behaviour a few years back.
I hope you enjoyed this economic analysis from someone who knows diddly squat about economics. You’re welcome!
“If spending more time at home has made you consider a furniture update, do not sling out that Billy bookcase just yet. Instead of taking it to the tip, you may be able to raise some cash through Ikea’s new buyback service. The scheme, which it announced last autumn, allows customers to take their furniture back to the store to be refunded and receive a voucher worth up to half of the item’s original value. It will then be resold to a new home, giving it “a second chance at life”.
“The furniture retailer says the service will reduce waste and increase sustainability, and is part of its efforts to go greener. Last week it told the FT it was also looking at offering a wider range of spare parts to help people repair its products.
“But does it need to do more to improve its green image? It has long come under fire for its environmental impact, consuming vast amounts of resources to mass-produce furniture that is not known for its durability.”
First, you’re not going to raise much cash with a used Billy bookcase. That dodgy particle board object cost sweet fuck all to start with.
Not to mention the time required to take Billy to pieces for transport back to the shop. Or are you supposed to take it back in one piece? Ikea furniture is only designed not fall apart quickly when you don’t actually move it. Picking it up and carrying it around, on the other hand, that’s brave! I have so many questions.
Ok, before I go full kamikaze on IKEA bitching, I will just say that growing trees full of stocked Co2 and then putting that wood into furniture is definitely going to help us survive the next fifty years or so, so there’s that. Good work, IKEA! Though the “IKEA to Landfill” time interval is not typically fifty years. And the fact that a Billy bookcase is, “at least 50% wood fibre”, does not fill me with hope about the “sustainability” of the other 50% or so of stuff holding these sad bookshelves together.
So, how does my personal furniture-selection behaviour match my words, do you ask?
Well, I made my own bookshelves with solid pine. Them and their embedded emissions aren’t going anywhere soon, especially as they’re built into the wall (sorry landlord!). Let’s face it, if I can make bookshelves, literally anyone with a handy-man IQ over 40 can too. Basically that means all humans.
My other bookshelves are gorgeous solid wood cubes from AM/PM that will last a lifetime.
My desk is a big solid wooden beast that me and my flatmate John carried through the Paris metro from someone cleaning out a house. This desk could probably survive a nuclear apocalypse.
My bed is a solid base and a soft futon, neither of which got anywhere near IKEA’s sticky fingers.
As for IKEA furniture, last year I actually did buy a (barely) second-hand IKEA Ekanäset Sofa. Less than a year old. The girl selling it had to take it to pieces, then I carried it 2 km across Paris in pieces over three sweaty trips, and reassembled it. The central cushion has already seen better days, with a bum-feeling sensation now similar to “thin foam over concrete”. I got some cushions to help soften that a bit. I’m not brave enough to stand on it, and even though it’s a three-seater, I haven’t been brave enough to try sitting three people on it. It feels fragile. It does have some solid wood structure to it, at least, and I’m not going to lie, it’s quite nice-looking wood. But I doubt it’s going to survive more than 5-10 years.
Never forget: your choices matter. Make good ones!