Ikea India is evaluating an entry into quick commerce and third-party e-commerce platforms while preparing to expand beyond the country’s largest metro markets, signalling the next phase of growth for the Swedish furniture retailer as it accelerates its omnichannel strategy.
Chief Commercial Officer Adosh Sharma said the retailer was closely studying quick commerce and third-party platforms, but any foray would have to strengthen Ikea’s overall customer experience rather than merely add another sales channel. “Online is a strong business for us.
Around 30% of our business comes from online today and we believe that is likely to stay. We are very keenly observing and working on the space of quick commerce and third-party platforms. It’s not just about putting the range and selling it. We want to complement the entire customer journey,” Sharma said.
Last week, Ikea India said that it has more than doubled its investment commitment in the country to over Rs 21,000 crore by 2030. The company plans to expand its network to around 30 stores by the end of the decade, backed by investments in logistics, omnichannel capabilities, renewable energy and local sourcing.
On the offline expansion front, Country Expansion Manager Pooja Grover said Ikea was looking beyond its six focus cities as it widens its physical footprint. “Our focus cities are the six cities. We have Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai and Pune. We have opened in all of them except Chennai. But besides that, we are also going to new cities ,” she said.
As part of that strategy, Ikea on Tuesday announced that it will open its second Delhi city-format store at DLF Avenue, Saket, on July 30. The outlet follows the company’s first city-format store in West Delhi and is aimed at complementing Ikea’s large-format stores with smaller, more accessible urban locations.
The retailer is also developing full-sized stores in Noida and Gurugram as part of Ingka Centres’ mixed-use projects. The Noida outlet will span around 220,000 sq ft, while executives said additional city-format stores are planned across Delhi to improve accessibility as Ikea expands its presence in the National Capital Region.