Ikea wants to introduce a new and simple assembly system. The furniture store is also interested in opening additional branches in city centers.
Ikea, known for its affordable furniture and easy self-assembly, is on the verge of a game-changing change. According to media reports, the Swedish furniture giant has announced that it will introduce a new assembly system in the coming months.
Ikea boss Jesper Brodin told the “Bild” newspaper that the group was working on a furniture innovation. This new furniture should be able to be assembled in a flash thanks to a click system. The goal: Customers should be able to assemble their furniture twice as quickly as before and thus save time.
This new system is intended to include fewer screws and parts and instead rely on click connections. The pilot project is being tested on the popular “Pax” cabinet system and should be available from summer 2024.
Ikea shows interest in Karstadt locations
In addition, the “Welt” reports that Ikea is interested in taking over locations of the insolvent department store chain Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof.
This suggests potential expansion into inner city locations; a step that is viewed positively by Markus Meyer, President of the Furniture and Kitchen Trade Association (BVDM): “Such inner-city locations have opportunities,” he said. The traditional Ikea branches located on the outskirts of the city or near motorways could thus be supplemented by more centrally located stores.
While this change represents an opportunity for Ikea, customers could react differently to the new shopping experience, as the news portal “Thüringen24” from the Funke media group writes: The usual, huge selection and the unique shopping experience could be limited in smaller city center branches. Nevertheless, the new accessibility in the city offers many advantages, especially for those who previously had to accept longer journeys.
