IKEA Opens New Japanese Store

IKEA is on an exciting expansion journey and continues to grow its presence in existing and new markets enabled by new stores, services, and digital solutions. In 2024, Ingka Group, the largest IKEA retailer, will come closer to customers and open in more than 50 new locations around the world.    

First up is IKEA Maebashi, a new IKEA store that opened to customers today. It’s the first IKEA store in the north Kanto region and the tenth in Japan. Located in Maebashi, the capital city of Gunma Prefecture, the new store will enable more people to take part of what IKEA has to offer when it comes to affordable and sustainable home furnishing solutions, furniture, and services.   

Maebashi, with its population of 330,000, is a two-hour drive north of Tokyo. The store is strategically positioned to cater to the needs of the surrounding areas, covering a region with over seven million people. 

Ahead of the opening, the IKEA Maebashi team has carried out 5,000 surveys with people in the region and several home visits to understand local needs and preferences.   

Market Manager at IKEA Maebashi, Kazumi Noyama, stated, “We want to be more than just a home furnishing retailer. We aim to be a true partner in life at home for the people living in this region”.  

In line with IKEA’s commitment to sustainability, IKEA Maebashi will be the most sustainable IKEA store in Japan, with the lowest operational climate footprint.  

During the last years, IKEA Japan has become more accessible to customers by opening more than 20 pop-up stores and 38 pick-up points nationwide, increased efficiency in their logistics by investing in automation solutions in store and accelerated zero-emission deliveries. To make IKEA even more accessible in east Asia, Ingka Group is investing more than 1 billion EUR in new and existing stores in Japan, China, and Korea during the next three years.   

“To bring the full IKEA offer to people, we are taking an omnichannel approach to how we can deepen our impact in big urban areas. The goal for our expansion is simple: we will be where people are – whenever and however they want to meet IKEA”, says Tolga Öncu, Ingka Retail Manager, Ingka Group. 

Curious about how it all started in Japan? 

2024 marks 50 years since IKEA took its first stumbling steps in the Japanese market. To acknowledge this, two intriguing articles about our history and presence in Japan were published on digital IKEA Museum:

https://ikeamuseum.com/en/explore/the-story-of-ikea/too-big-in-japan/

https://ikeamuseum.com/en/explore/the-story-of-ikea/retail-revival-in-japan/

Source : Ingka Group

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