Even in a time like this, where we’re facing a potential recession or a downturn in the economy, that people want to improve their lives at home. We know that kitchens, baths and beds are still an area of importance. How we make it work is that we actually leverage the success that we’ve had in stores. Ikea is known for its big-box stores where you can find all things related to the home category. In this Planning Studio, we have a smaller format that really brings you closer to the range and also brings you closer to the many solutions we can offer, so we have design consultants on site that really can support you with that. Typically, you would visit an Ikea location in one of our stores, you would go through the showroom and you would end up in one of these areas. The areas we focus on are areas where you need more time or assistance to really plan and design out your dreams. Why do the Planning Studios focus on kitchens, baths and bedrooms specifically? These two stores will be focusing on bedrooms, baths and kitchens: three core areas of the home that many people need more assistance in planning and designing. We’ve opened the two new touch points in LA, and this is really about being more accessible to many people in areas where we can put a larger footprint store. What is it that pushed Ikea to roll out small-format stores?įirst and foremost, Ikea is on a journey, and we’re on a journey because the retail environment is changing. In an interview with Modern Retail, Selwyn Crittendon, business development manager at Ikea U.S., spoke about the expansion of Planning Studio and how it plans to use these stores to reach city dwellers. Kohl’s also unveiled an experimental small-format store in Tacoma, Washington in October, which has a broad assortment of outdoor gear to match the preferred pastime of the local community. Best Buy, for example, opened its first small-format store in Monroe, North Carolina back in July at 5,000 square feet. Much like Ikea, other retailers like experimenting with smaller stores. The vast majority of its products were sold through stores, at 75%. The company’s total retail sales for the fiscal year climbed 6.5% from the previous year to 44.6 billion euros ($47.6 billion). Ikea did not share financial figures on how the Planning Studios are performing so far. The investment also focuses on developing physical stores so they can serve as e-commerce distribution centers. The new Planning Studios are part of the 3 billion euros (or about $3.2 billion) Ingka Group, Ikea’s largest franchisee, planned to invest in its new and existing stores. Ikea plans to open more Planning Studio locations in Rome, Tokyo and San Francisco among others. are around 8,000 to 9,000 square feet and focus on key areas integral to city living, such as kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms. As site manager Dan Desai says, "we wanted to bring people from the hustle and bustle inside to a calm experience here.Ikea’s Planning Studio was developed to reach shoppers living in areas that its typical big-box stores aren’t located in. These will likely all be geared toward the needs of their specific cities and focus more on space planning than impulse buying.Įven if you can't shop the space per se, it may still be an inspiration-or even respite-for design lovers in midtown. This model is the beginning of a plan to roll out 30 different types of IKEA "touchpoints" in city centers. The Planning Studio is the first of its kind, ever, but likely not the last. Customers can book an appointment online for a free consultation with an IKEA coworker, who they'll meet in one of the semi-private or private areas in the lower level, surrounded by options for IKEA's PAX, BESTA, and kitchen systems. Meanwhile, in the below ground level of the space (once at Urban Outfitters), connected with raw wood staircases, is an area for more in-depth planning. A meeting space for design consultations on the lower level.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |