How did IKEA Al-Homaizi Ltd first become an IKEA franchisee?
"Mr. Yousef Al-Homaizi had been running a successful home furnishing showroom in Kuwait for almost 25 years when his sons Yacoub and Jassim Youssef first came into contact with the IKEA brand. It was actually Jassim’s Danish wife who introduced the brothers to the Swedish home furnishing brand. Shortly afterwards, they set about acquiring one of the first IKEA franchises in the Gulf. 35 years later, their Kuwait store stretches across 21,500 m2 of the country’s largest mall and they are also operating stores in Jordan and Morocco."
What triggered the Al-Homaizi brothers’ interest in the IKEA brand?
“What the brothers immediately recognised was a brand that provides uncompromising value for money at the same time as offering inspiring, beautifully designed solutions for every home. They were struck by its freshness and simplicity. The IKEA business model and values also lined up perfectly with Al-Homaizi’s belief that home is the most important space in the world.”