Ikea launches shopping app in India

Swedish home furnishing retailer IKEA on Thursday announced the launch of its shopping app in India, in a bid to expand its omni-channel approach in the country.

The IKEA app would be available on both platforms -- iOS and Android -- and will offer 7,000 home furnishing products, said a statement.

Now customers from cities -- Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Surat, and Baroda -- will be able to buy products with a click on their phone, it added.

"The app launch is a part of IKEA's omni-channel approach to meet the many people of India. It will be through a combination of big IKEA stores, smaller city-center stores, and online platforms," said IKEA.

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The mobile app will help IKEA to connect with customers in the current situation, where people are preferring online shopping due to health and safety reasons amid the pandemic.

The features of the app include product recommendations, ratings, and reviews, along with easier searching and browsing experience.

Users' feed will be personalised with images and products based on their interests and purchases.

IKEA is building stronger digital capacities and will expand to more cities to meet 100 million people in the coming years.

"We are now one step closer to making every day better with our on-the-go e-commerce service," IKEA India Country Commercial Manager Kavitha Rao said.

She further noted that "health and safety is a top priority for us, and hence, the launch of IKEA app is another touch point to make home furnishing accessible to the many people and ensure customers can shop safely from their homes."

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IKEA app allows the customer to add the products to their shopping list even while physically browsing through the products in the store. Moreover, a customer can also find a built-in barcode scanner which will help them learn more details about the products including materials and dimensions.

IKEA India, part of Ingka Group, opened its first retail store in Hyderabad in August 2018, followed by online stores in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Pune in 2019 as part of its multi-channel approach.

It opened its second store in India at Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, on December 18, 2020.

Ingka Group is a strategic partner in the IKEA franchise system, operating 378 IKEA stores in 30 countries. Ingka Group has three business areas: IKEA Retail, Ingka Investments and Ingka Centres.