UK DIY News
Creating A New World Of IKEA In Cities
Today [23rd June] IKEA is coming one step closer to where the many people live and work, with the opening of IKEA Décoration in Paris, France. The store joins IKEA La Madeleine, which has been greeting Paris city dwellers since 2019.
The shop is the first of its kind in the world and caters to Parisians’ desire for accessories and decorative items. Now more than ever, our homes have become our shelters, and this has resulted in a great need to personalise and make them comfortable.
The focus of the new IKEA shop is on inspiring, affordable and sustainable accessories and decorative items. Inside the new shop, seven areas present the synergy between furniture and accessories to help inspire Parisians to personalise their homes, with areas that change according to the season and prevailing trends.
The shop is located in central Paris next to international fashion houses and 100 metres from the iconic Louvre Museum that welcomes 10 million visitors every year. It is also just around the corner from Châtelet station which is used by some 50 million passengers annually.
“We are creating a new world of IKEA in the cities, bringing our stores closer to where people, live, work and socialize, and the new store in Paris is just one example. By moving into cities and creating new jobs and meeting places, we are revitalising areas and supporting local communities; something that has always been close to our heart”, says Jette Jørgensen, Expansion Manager, Ingka Group.
IKEA will continue to test and develop meeting points to meet new customer expectations, always with the customers’ needs and dreams in mind.
“The goal is always to be close to the customers, becoming more accessible and convenient and creating a great IKEA experience available wherever and whenever they want”, says Jette.
The focus on opening new IKEA formats in cities does not mean that the good old IKEA blue boxes are left behind. IKEA will continue to invest in and improve existing stores, and open new ones. By improving the digital experience IKEA is also making it easier to shop online as well as offering great digital solutions in-store. New and improved delivery, assembly and installation services will contribute to a smooth IKEA experience for all.
Many more cities can expect to see more of IKEA in the future. In the next fiscal year, IKEA plans to open 20 new customer meetings points, and yesterday IKEA Retail Sweden announced it will open 10 new meeting points around the country, to make it easier for people living far from IKEA to shop. Different countries have different needs, and IKEA will continue to explore the best ways of meeting all the customers, no matter where they live.
The different store formats
IKEA store in city format (IKEA small store)
Our IKEA small stores in the cities are much like the IKEA our customers already know – but in a smaller format, closer to their home and easily accessible by public transport. In the IKEA small store, customers can discover our full range of products through inspiring room sets and digital tools. They have the choice to buy most accessories and bring them home on the day. However, for larger items, customers will have several convenient delivery options. There is no self-serve furniture area, but the offer of products, services and food is comparable to the IKEA blue-box store.
IKEA planning studio
In our centrally located planning studios, customers can get support from our knowledgeable home furnishing specialists with planning and ordering home furnishing solutions that require a bit more help – such as kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms. There are no products to take home on the day – but we’ll make sure that everything you order is conveniently transported to your home or to another convenient point of delivery. Our full range of inspirational, affordable and sustainable home furnishing solutions are available online. There’s no food available, but you can always visit our stores or shops to enjoy our IKEA food experience. Examples of IKEA planning studio locations:
- New York
- London
- Berlin
- Barcelona
- Copenhagen
- Tokyo
- Moscow
IKEA shop
In the centrally located IKEA shop, customers can explore and buy a specific area of our range. They can get help with planning and ordering from our full IKEA range – and all products that can easily be carried are available for you to take home immediately.
Our full range of inspirational, affordable and sustainable home furnishing solutions are available online.
Examples of locations where we have IKEA shops:
- Tokyo
- Madrid
- Shanghai
- The new IKEA Décoration in Paris
IKEA pick-up point
The pick-up points make it easy for our customers to choose where and when they want to collect their purchases. It’s a convenient and affordable alternative to home delivery. You select the pick-up point that suits you, and we’ll make sure that your products are there waiting for you.
IKEA home service point *NEW*
In FY22 we are introducing our new IKEA home service points. Here, customers can get support with planning and buying home furnishing solutions and services, through IKEA online. There are no products to take home on the day – but we’ll make sure that everything you order is conveniently transported to your home or to another convenient point of delivery. The plan is to open and test about many IKEA home service points in FY22. After that we will evaluate and decide how to move forward.
Source : IKEA
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