Why IKEA CEO Jesper Brodin Is Betting On Small Joys And Sustainability

Jesper Brodin was nothing like I expected. A formidable CEO, yes,but without the polished sheen or corporate distance. At Milan Design Week, while much of the design world leaned into spectacle, Brodin sat with me in a converted warehouse in the Navigli neighborhood, where he discussed carbon emissions and circularity with the calm of someone more interested in systems than soundbites.

The CEO of Ingka Group—the largest IKEA retailer globally—was there as IKEA unveiled two projects: the return of its design-led STOCKHOLM collection and Do Something, Change Everything, a data-backed display of how the company is reworking its operations to meet urgent climate targets. Both presentations reflected a broader shift in how IKEA approaches the intersection of design, behavior, and impact.

The STOCKHOLM collection is a nod to longtime customers—those who grew up with flat-packs and now have more disposable income. Do Something, Change Everything made the company’s strategy clear: by investing in renewable energy, resource efficiency, and circularity, IKEA can reduce emissions and champion affordability at scale. This approach extends to new services like IKEA Pre-Owned and Sustainable Living Shops, designed for how people buy, live, and budget today.

The same attention to everyday realities also shapes the company’s Life at Home Report, now in its 11th year. Drawing on insights from over 38,000 people across 39 countries, the 2024 edition revealed that one in three people don’t feel enough joy at home. The solution doesn’t suggest grand overhauls. Instead, it points to small, powerful shifts—more personalization, more connection, more comfort. In the conversation that follows, Brodin shares how these insights inform IKEA’s evolving design priorities, retail strategy, and long-term sustainability goals.

You’ve been at IKEA since 1995. What was your relationship with the brand before joining?

I grew up in Sweden—my father was a teacher, my mother worked at a travel agency. We didn’t have a lot of money, so every purchase had to count. I remember going to IKEA with my dad and assembling furniture together. I thought it was fun—he might not have agreed! But that relationship with the brand started early.

You’ve just launched the latest STOCKHOLM collection. Can you tell us about that?

STOCKHOLM was designed for people who’ve maybe grown out of their first apartments, had their first kids, and now have a little more money. We noticed some of these customers “graduated” from IKEA and started shopping elsewhere. So we asked, what if we could keep them with us? This is our eighth STOCKHOLM collection—it’s the biggest yet with 96 products. It’s intended to “flirt” with that more design-focused category, but still at a quarter of the price you’d find elsewhere. A similar sofa from a competitor might cost €5,000—we’re offering ours for €1,400.

There’s a lot of talk around sustainability at IKEA. If you couldn’t use the word “sustainable,” how would you describe your approach?

It’s about doing what’s right—not just for business, but for all our stakeholders. Being people and planet positive has to be business positive too. It’s not charity; it’s a smart business. We’ve proven it’s possible to grow and reduce our carbon footprint at the same time. Since signing the 2016 Paris Agreement, we’ve grown our business by 24% and cut absolute carbon emissions by 30.1%.

That’s impressive. How have you achieved those reductions?

Almost every action we’ve taken to cut carbon has also helped us reduce costs. We’ve invested in renewable energy—wind and solar—and now we produce 140% of our own needs. That independence is a business win. We’ve also reduced food waste by 60.5%. People often assume sustainability is expensive, but being smart with resources is good for the bottom line.

And yet, many still believe sustainable products are unaffordable. Why do you think that is?

It’s a misconception. At IKEA, we follow a design formula: form, function, price, quality, and sustainability. Years ago, I met two groups of producers. One said we had to choose between low price or high quality. The other said increasing quality would save money—through lean production, zero waste, worker motivation, and better materials. They were right. It’s the same with sustainability—transformation lowers cost in the long run.

How do you address concerns around greenwashing?

Greenwashing emerged from companies that were reckless or misleading. But now there’s a new concern—greenhushing. The best companies are staying silent out of fear of backlash. We’ve chosen the opposite approach. We work with youth organizations, NGOs, and even lawyers who prosecute greenwashing to keep us honest. We’re sharing the facts—30% carbon reduction across 20 to 30 examples. If we make a small mistake, we’ll own it. But silence isn’t an option.

How do you know your customers care about sustainability?

Every two years, we survey over 33,000 people across more than 30 markets with GlobeScan. Climate change has consistently been the number one concern—across Texas, Shanghai, Milan, Stockholm. In fact, awareness is highest in China. Today, 64% of customers report taking conscious action, like recycling or buying secondhand. But only 6% say they could pay more for climate-smart products. The reality is that most people simply can’t afford to care the way they’d like to.

So how does that shape IKEA’s strategy?

We can’t build a sustainable future by asking people to pay more. That only works for the wealthy, and it doesn’t drive transformation. So we bake affordability into our sustainability strategy. That’s why we celebrate when we can lower prices—it means we’re reaching more people.

Speaking of affordability, tell us about IKEA’s approach to the secondhand market.

This is almost embarrassing, I didn’t realize how massive our secondhand market share was! Just go on Ebay or Facebook Marketplace and you can see how many people are reselling IKEA products. They don’t throw them away—they sell them, especially in life stages like parenting where space is tight. In some areas, we actually have a higher secondhand market share than first-time purchases.

How did that lead to IKEA Pre-Owned?

We began exploring this seriously around 2015. At first, we thought the existing platforms were good enough. But eventually, our innovation team saw room to add value. We built IKEA Pre-Owned, now live in Spain, Norway and Portugal. Sellers can access our full photo library, get price recommendations based on our database, and buyers get free spare parts. It’s not just resale, it’s a better experience.

Let’s talk about the Life at Home report. How does the concept of “designing for joy” fit in with your other priorities like sustainability and affordability?

People start with price. Then they want functionality—especially in small spaces. After that, quality and well-being become important. Joy is woven through all of that. We’ve seen families save for years just to buy a bunk bed for their kids so they can create space to play or do homework. That shapes our design process. We do home visits constantly and come back with real insights. We design all our products in-house, so we have a point of view. Simplicity, Scandinavian style, and the feel of the material all contribute to joy.

Finally, what’s the future of IKEA retail that excites you most?

We’ve made big investments in online and services. But we’ve also explored new physical formats. We realized we couldn’t take 70 years to adapt—we had to move fast. After many tests and mistakes, we’ve landed on three new formats: home planning studios, pick-up points, and what we call “access format” stores. They’re smaller, urban, and flexible—like the one opening soon on Oxford Street in London. They give you the full IKEA experience in a condensed version. It’s super exciting to see them rolling out globally.