New IKEA meeting points

In the classic IKEA stores on the outskirts of cities, customers can discover, touch and try out our entire range. “Our stores are the heart of the IKEA business and still stand for the majority of our sales,” says Jon Abrahamsson, Managing Director, Inter IKEA Systems B.V. But some people aren’t familiar with the IKEA brand. Others may not be able to find the time to visit the store or maybe they just need to buy one or two things. And as a brand that’s working hard to become more sustainable, we want people that choose not to have cars to also have access to our products.

Shopping on ikea.com means you can compare colours and patterns with what you already have, and pick shelves and wardrobes that fit your rooms perfectly, by measuring while you’re shopping. Not to mention you can do it in your pyjamas and at the very moment inspiration strikes – regardless of how close you are to the nearest IKEA store. But again, to shop at ikea.com, you first need to know who we are.

In cities like Hong Kong and Taipei, small stores have already been opened, and many more are under development in more markets. With new, small store formats, people can have access to the IKEA range in the areas where they live, move and work. Small stores can be located in shopping centres, in city centres, and also in suburban areas where it hasn’t been practical to establish a full-size store.

IKEA Pop-ups are time-limited stores designed to really connect with consumers. Each one is like a circus of furniture fun, aimed to surprise, entertain, captivate and inspire. IKEA has been working with pop-ups for several years, each time with a different theme, and they have proved very popular.

“We always want to be better, and we test new solutions and formats all the time,” says Jon Abrahamsson. One of those formats is “IKEA shops”, meaning small stores that focus on a locally-adapted segment of the IKEA range. The very first IKEA bedroom shop opened in the centre of Madrid in the summer of 2017, and an IKEA shop with a small space living focus will be opening in Tokyo in 2020.

“IKEA shops” carry articles for immediate take-away. They make it possible for customers to touch our products and try them out in an inspiring environment, and to plan, order and buy in a convenient way. “IKEA shops” is a format that is currently being tested, but not yet part of the IKEA Concept.

Another format being tested is “IKEA Planning Studio” – a meeting point where customers can get support for more complex purchases, like kitchen and bathroom projects. Today, Planning Studios have been opened in the centre of London, Stockholm and New York.

There are no articles for immediate takeaway, but customers can drop in, discover and try out products. They can also get help from planning experts to create their very own solutions on a computer, and place an order online at one of the many interactive kiosks. In addition to free one-to-one planning appointments, they can arrange delivery, finance, assembly, and installation at an affordable rate. Just like “IKEA shops”, “IKEA Planning Studio” is a format that’s not yet part of the IKEA Concept, but customer reactions have been positive so far.

The future IKEA is here and constantly evolving. Today, you can meet IKEA on IKEA.com, in the catalogue, in small stores, in pop-up events, IKEA shops, Planning Studios and, of course, in more than 400 traditional, big, blue stores all over the world.