In search of a bargain at Ikea? Visit this section first
It took months before veterinarian Gibran Karl Alonzo finished decorating his loft-type apartment. He knew how he wanted his place to look, but he also loves getting bargains. That’s how he ended up at the As-Is marketplace of Ikea every week until he completed his space.
As-Is remains the most popular area in Ikea. This is where returned, gently used or displayed products are offered for sale at a discounted price. It was love at first buy for Alonzo.
“I got a solid wood cabinet for only P7,000. The original price was P 19,000,” he said. Every week he would drop by As-Is for items he needed. Alonzo would have his breakfast at the restaurant before the store opens and rush to the second floor to check what’s new on display every week. Items in As-Is are random and some don’t stay on the shelf for long.
Buy first, browse later
He considered it a great personal victory to bring a black-brown Malm dresser home, especially because another customer was also eyeing it. But his favorite piece is the living room carpet. His advice? Pay for what you like immediately and then do your store browsing after.
“I was planning on buying one on that particular trip. I found the exact rug that I wanted. It’s a big carpet and its only defect is the plastic packaging. I got it for P6,000 from P13,000,” he said.
By accident, he discovered the Fjällbo series in As-Is. He purchased a few sets and converted the shelving units into homes for his fur babies. His pets have their own spaces in a room he created under his loft bed.
His latest purchase are the curtains that made his living room space bigger. Alonzo said that the thrill of finding gems excites him. Having a lot of patience pays off.
Foregoing perfectly packaged brand-new items and giving home to gently-used products supports sustainability. This year, they’re making purchasing from the secondhand marketplace even easier. The current setup has cabinets, tables and other bulky items already assembled. It cannot be dismantled in the store. Thus, the option for transportation is most likely through the store’s transport partner.
One of the changes they will implement this year is the option to have the items dismantled to make it easier for customers to bring home. Fasteners needed to reassemble at home can still be requested from the store for free.
Sustainable efforts
Transportation is at the forefront of Ikea’s sustainable efforts. Electric vehicles deliver up to 33 percent of orders per day. But the retail giant is pushing to increase the number this year, according to Jarek Lesniewski, country fulfillment operations manager.
They are starting their expansion in Cebu where they will first roll out the use of electric vehicles outside Metro Manila in the coming months. Lesniewski added that there will be a new system for shipping in the Visayas-Mindanao region that will make shipping fees more cost-effective.
“We could not accept a lot of orders (from Visayas-Mindanao) because there is no store, yet,” said Lesniewski. Their solution is to consolidate orders until they fill up a crate and then have it delivered to warehouses that serve as collection points in Iloilo and Davao. In the past, orders were packed and shipped right after ordering.
Lesniewski admits that there is a change in the delivery time, too. He said, “We extend the lead time for a little bit. If the orders grow, the delivery time will be shorter, too.” Delivery to Western Visayas could take as long as one month when we checked online. Maximizing space for delivery reduces the carbon footprint of transportation going back and forth. Planning is key. Garbage trucks also take fewer trips to the store because of the way they make use of their waste. They’ve done away with netting mats for packing and instead use shredded cardboard—product packaging that they shred themselves.
The food waste of restaurants is fed to Orca digesters. It breaks food waste down and turns it into liquid, which is then discharged to regular plumbing. The system also measures the food wastes, giving the kitchen an idea of how much food is consumed in a day, letting them know what’s enough.
These efforts in sustainability benefit not just the planet. Sometimes they benefit our wallets as well.
