Published Online:December 2025
Product Name:The IUP Journal of Business Strategy
Product Type:Article
Product Code:IJBS031225
DOI:10.71329/IUPJBS/2025.22.4.37-57
Author Name:Samarpita Roy, Arijit Santikary, A Dinesh and Ishita Deb
Availability:YES
Subject/Domain:Management
Download Format:PDF
Pages:37-57
The global furniture industry is at a crossroads where affordability, convenience, and consumer demand collide with the urgent need for sustainability. Latest developments in the home improvement sector have brought in “easy to assemble and customize” and “easy to use and transport” furniture. Often referred to as “fast furniture,” the sector’s reliance on low-cost, short-life products has created a mounting waste stream creating an estimated disposal of 12 million tons of discarded furniture annually in the US alone. Most of this discarded furniture then end up in the landfills. Companies such as IKEA, positioned as leaders in sustainable, accessible, and stylish home solutions, embody a significant dilemma. The company has been celebrated for democratizing design and advancing circular economy initiatives promoting sustainability, yet they are simultaneously criticized for encouraging overconsumption and contributing to the culture of disposability. This paper explores the paradox of “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle or Replace?” through a critical case study of IKEA and its competitors, examining the tensions between sustainability driven communication and sales-driven business models. By integrating data on waste generation, pollution, and consumer behavior with corporate initiatives like buyback programs and second-hand resale markets, the study highlights the pressing dilemma facing the industry. Should companies explicitly discourage overconsumption—even if it threatens growth trajectories—or continue to prioritize affordability and accessibility at the expense of long-term ecological costs? The findings underscore the importance of balancing responsible consumption narratives with systemic innovation in design, material use, and consumer engagement. The case aims to spark dialogue among scholars, practitioners, and policymakers on how global retailers can reconcile profitability with genuine environmental stewardship in the era of climate urgency.
Organizations around the world have been focusing on and communicating about sustainability. The concept of “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle” has been practiced, taught, and spoken about as frequently as possible.