Ikea plans to open more pick-up and order points as a main driver for growth, as the flat pack furniture retailer moves more towards ecommerce sales.
The move will see the firm set uo new pick up and order stores in UK city centres as part of its strategy to increase its annual sales to €50bn by 2020.
The Swedish retailer is trying to generate more revenue from time-poor customers with more city centre satellite points , which it hopes will make buying and collecting its products easier.
Ikea reported record sales of €34.2bn last year, up 7.1 per cent on the previous year, thanks to the 783 million shoppers who purchased items from its range of popular homeware and furniture.
This growth was also aided by the opening of 19 new pick-up and order points during the year, taking the total to 22 across locations including central Stockholm and Oslo, as well as some within existing Ikea stores.
Earlier this year, the retailer confirmed it wanted to open a small-scale ‘order and collection’ store on Oxford Street in response to criticisms that its stores are too far away.
Providing online shoppers with more flexible fulfillment options could provide a lift in incremental spending, especially for furniture purchases.
Earlier this month, the company veered away from its flat-pack expertise and opened a pop-up restaurant – called ‘The Dining Club’ – in London’s Shoreditch, where guests worked alongside chefs to prepare Scandinavian-themed dishes.