Ikea to open small city outlets in India

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Aug 22, 2022

Swedish homeware retailer Ikea plans to get closer to its customers and open small format stores across India in addition to its large format stores and expanding e-commerce store. 

Ikea is moving towards an omni-channel strategy in India which will include smaller stores in more densely populated locations, ET Bureau reported. The business is committed to brick-and-mortar retail in India and, following an online-only pilot programme in Gujarat, believes that a physical presence is paramount for growth. 
 
“A little but slowed down during the Covid period but we are also learning from the first markets we have opened,” Ikea India’s CEO Susanne Pulverer told the Press Trust of India in an interview. “We need to be close to where people are. So that’s when we also looked at smaller formats that are still relatively big for Indian retail.” 

The tweaks to the business’ retail strategy in India are part of a global move by Ikea to add smaller scale stores in cities. The business could also launch still smaller stores which are designed to give shoppers a place to plan their home design, according to Pulverer. 
 
Ikea currently counts 30% of its total sales from its online channel and has sustained the pandemic-led growth in online shopping. In India, Ikea services cities including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, and Surat among others through its website and mobile app.