The news: Ikea will offer its buyback and resale program in every US full-format store by September, the company told Business Insider.

The details: The initiative, which allows customers to earn store credit on eligible items, is meant to sharpen Ikea’s appeal to both deal- and design-oriented shoppers.

It could also increase customer retention and lifetime value: Those who participate visit Ikea stores 50% more on average over the following six months, said Bryan Walker, country product quality manager for Ikea US.

Implications for furniture retailers: Ikea is hoping that its expanded resale program will help keep it relevant at a challenging time for the furniture industry. While purchase intent is ticking up slowly as consumers’ macroeconomic anxieties ease, growth—as in most other categories—is being driven by higher-income households. That trend benefits retailers like Wayfair and Williams-Sonoma, which have higher-end brands in their portfolios, but could prove a headwind for budget brands like Ikea as more consumers opt to defer big-ticket purchases.

Making resale more readily available could enable Ikea to burnish its value credentials and give shoppers a reason to stop by its stores.

• Offering popular products at a fraction of their retail price could encourage cash-strapped consumers to buy, making Ikea more competitive against other budget furniture retailers like Bob’s Discount Furniture.
• The treasure-hunt nature of resale may incentivize shoppers to visit Ikea’s stores more frequently and pick up other goods in the process: Nearly two-thirds (62.9%) of furniture and home goods shoppers purchased brands or products they discovered in physical stores, according to EMARKETER’s US Consumer Path to Purchase survey.