MAJOR CHANGE AT IKEA | Shoppers warned of stricter policies — and Aussie shoppers aren't happy

The changes, which took effect on April 9, caught many customers off guard after the Swedish furniture giant made little fanfare of the shift.

Under the new "Test & Try" policy, shoppers who have a change of heart on an opened or assembled product can now only return it within two months — and will receive store credit rather than a cash refund.

The one saving grace for careful buyers: unopened, unused and resealable products can still be returned within 365 days, provided you have proof of purchase.

In a statement, an IKEA spokesperson framed the overhaul as a matter of balance.

"These changes help us minimise misuse of the returns policy and allow us to continue offering high quality, affordable home furnishings to Australians," the spokesperson said.

But for many shoppers, the policy had been a genuine drawcard — offering the confidence to take a chance on a flat-pack sofa or bookshelf without the fear of being stuck with it.

IKEA introduced the 365-day window in the mid-2010s specifically to build trust in its assemble-at-home model, and it became a cornerstone of the brand's appeal in Australia.

So what changed? The answer lies in a global retail headache that has been building for years.

The cost of processing returns — shifting goods from homes back to warehouses, inspecting them, and determining whether they can be resold, repaired or written off, has become a significant drag on retailer margins worldwide.

Compounding the problem is a boom in what industry insiders call "bracketing" — the practice of buying multiple versions of a product with the intention of returning most of them.

Social media has accelerated the trend, with influencers running "keep or return" hauls to their followers, driving up return volumes at retailers' expense.

Retail Economics chief executive Richard Lim has previously warned that serial returners are "quietly eroding retail profitability in ways many retailers are only just beginning to understand."

Australia and New Zealand are now among the stricter markets globally, following similar cutbacks IKEA has already made in the United States and Canada.

The broader message from the retail sector is clear: the era of ultra-flexible, no-questions-asked returns is drawing to a close.