Swedish furniture giant Ikea has opened a new “plan and order” point in Drogheda that will allow customers to book appointments with planning specialists to help design their new kitchen and bedroom.
Focused on bespoke kitchen and wardrobe design, the smaller shop allows customers to order from across the Ikea range for delivery to their home.
The company, which operates similar stores in Dublin’s St Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre and in Naas, Co Kildare, is expanding the model nationally, starting at the Scotch Hall Shopping Centre in Drogheda, Co Louth. Other units are planned for Cork city and Portlaoise.
Ikea said that its two existing plan-and-order shops have been used by more than 3,500 customers in the past 12 months. They allow customers to book an appointment and consult a specialist to help design their new kitchen or bedroom.
The consultants use 3D-design technology to show shoppers what their new room will look like. Ikea also offers an assembly and installation service.
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“Our investment in plan-and-order points is part of our long-term plan to transform our retail business, making it easier for our customers in Ireland to enjoy what Ikea offers using a number of convenient ways,” said Martyn Allen, market manager at Ikea Ireland. “Our store in Ballymun together with our service offers and digital solutions all complement each other, enabling us to be there for our customers, however they want to meet us.
“Ikea is committed to growing and investing in Ireland and the opening of these plan-and-order points are just one part of this expansion.” he said, adding that Ikea would be announcing more of these outlets in retail parks and shopping centres around the State over the next 12 months.
In a trading update in January, the retailer announced that sales at its Irish unit climbed 14 per cent to €216.7 million in the year to the end of August 2022.
Ikea Ireland’s total online sales have doubled compared with its 2019 financial year, it said. Consumers also started coming back to the Ikea store, with store visits increasing 70 per cent year-on-year to more than three million.
The retailer reported “strong appetite” from customers investing in their homes, with growth seen across all areas, particularly within kitchen and dining equipment, textiles and storage.
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Last week, Ikea’s Swedish parent said its annual carbon emissions fell 5 per cent in the last fiscal year following efforts to boost renewable energy use and make its products more energy-efficient. Ikea has a target to be climate-positive by 2030.
It said emissions in the entire value chain – from raw material production to customers’ use and disposal of products – was estimated to total 25.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in the 12 months through to August 2022, against an upwardly revised 27.2 million tonnes in the 2021 fiscal year.
One of the main drivers of the reduction was the development of a more energy-efficient LED bulb range called Solhetta, said Jon Abrahamsson Ring, chief executive of the Inter Ikea Group that owns the brand. – Additional reporting: Reuters
