IKEA reports worldwide sales growth

For the 2014 financial year, the Ikea Group’s total sales amounted to €28.7b. Adjusted for currency impact, total sales increased by +5.9% compared to last year, while sales in comparable stores grew with 3.6%. Total sales translated into Euro increased by 3.0%.

“The Ikea Group keeps growing and I am happy to see an increased growth in all our sales channels – in existing stores, in the opening of new stores and online. Our sales development shows that people all over the world appreciate our great home furnishing products at affordable prices,” says president and CEO Peter Agnefjäll.

China was the fastest-growing market, North America continued to perform well and while the challenging economic situation may not be over, Europe continued to do better. “We continue to see positive signs in consumer spending and it’s a great joy to report growth in almost all our markets, not least in the challenging markets in southern Europe,” says Peter.

Ikea's ecommerce showed strong growth, while the number of store visitors also increased.

“We have a clear multichannel strategy. We are becoming more accessible by continuing to improve our existing stores, by opening new stores and by expanding our ecommerce service and in-store pick and delivery service,” says Peter.

Sustainability is an integrated part of the Ikea Group growth strategy. “Our goal is to make sustainability affordable and attractive, and we’ve made good progress. By directing price investments to energy-saving products like LED lighting, we’ve enabled many more people to reduce their energy bills and live more sustainably at home.

“Looking ahead, I see great opportunities for continued growth. We are still small in many markets, we have a strong business model and a fantastic team of dedicated co-workers,” concludes Peter.

The Ikea Group yearly summary, which gives a full account of performance for the year, will be published in January 2015.

Source : Paul Farley - Furniture News
www.furniturenews.net/news/articles/2014/09/1921705981-ikea-reports-global-sales-growth