IKEA unpacks plan for new store every year in region

[webfact]

IKEA unpacks plan for new store every year in region

By Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn 
The Nation 

 

 

IKANO Private Ltd, which operates IKEA stores in Southeast Asia, yesterday announced an ambitious plan to open one store every year in the region over the next five to 10 years.
 

The company yesterday officially opened its second IKEA store in Bang Yai district of Nonthaburi province. Costing Bt6.3 billion, the store in CentralPlaza WestGate is the largest IKEA outlet in Southeast Asia, occupying 50,278 square metres of retail area and stocking 8,000 products

The store aims to attract four million shoppers by end of this year. About five million shoppers are targeted next year.

 

Christian Rojkjaer, managing director of IKEA Southeast Asia, said that Thailand is one of the company’s strategic markets for its store expansion in Southeast Asia.

 

He said that the company first looked at opening a store in Bangkok 10 years ago. However, the IKEA Bangna outlet opened about five years ago.

 

“Our new IKEA store in Bang Yai is the 415th IKEA store opened around the world,” Rojkjaer said.

 

“We now have seven IKEA stores in Southeast Asia, comprising Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. We’re working on the opening of IKEA stores in the Philippines and Vietnam.”

 

He said that company will open a store in Penang, Malaysia, in 2019, while the first IKEA in Manila will be opened in 2020. This would be followed by Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi by 2022. 

 

 “We have seen great potential for the growth and future expansion of IKEA stores in particular markets in Southeast Asia, driven by many positive factors, especially the growing middle-classes and the equalisation of people in the region,” Rojkjaer said.

 

“Consumers in Southeast Asia also enjoy a growing income level and spending ability.”

 

Rojkjaer said that for Thailand, about 10 more IKEA stores will be opened within the next five to 10 years, of which two will be large stores and the rest will be small-format outlets, or so called pick-up and order points (POPs).

 

The first POP outlet opened in November 2016 in Phuket, occupying 2,615 square metres in retail space and costing about Bt175 million.

 

“We are looking for other potential locations in Bangkok, especially in the northeast and southwest areas, for the opening of IKEA stores,” Rojkjaer said. “We are also looking for upcountry locations, such as in Udon Thani, Chiang Mai, and Pattaya, for the expansion of our small-scale POP outlets.

 

“There are fantastic opportunities for IKEA and Thailand to grow together, thanks to the increasing number of small manufacturers for furniture and home accessories owned by Thai entrepreneurs.”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/Corporate/30340994

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-03-16

[cornishcarlos]

Good... I love Ikea :)

[seesip]

Pattaya is Upcountry?

[Thian]

I wished they didn't stop selling the meatballs...they only have chicken and vegy balls now which are not nice.

[johng]

Have they  fixed the "stupidness"  that  you order stuff online from their website  

but then have to physically go to the Bangkok branch to pay for it !    ??????

Edited March 16, 2018 by johng

[madmitch]

1 minute ago, johng said:

Have they  fixed the "stupidness"  that  you order stuff online from their website  

but then have to physically go to the Bangkok branch to pay for it !    ??????

That's a step better than Phuket where you have to order at the store as well as pickup. One trip is OK but two? It was 2018 last time I checked but this system is very much last century. 

[johng]

3 minutes ago, madmitch said:

where you have to order at the store as well as pickup

That would be a  "no"   then  ?

[Eric Loh]

Good product range but terrible customer service. Index and SB do a better job in terms of attending to customer, delivery and after sales service. . 

[Thian]

1 minute ago, Eric Loh said:

Good product range but terrible customer service. Index and SB do a better job in terms of attending to customer, delivery and after sales service. . 

Just tell them you'll complain to your brother in Sweden and that he works for IKEA HQ....works like a chime.

[transam]

Termites just love wood chip....

[Peterw42]

4 minutes ago, johng said:

Have they  fixed the "stupidness"  that  you order stuff online from their website  

but then have to physically go to the Bangkok branch to pay for it !    ??????

Have to agree, I would have bought a couple of things by now if they actually had an online/delivery service.

[Eric Loh]

14 minutes ago, transam said:

Termites just love wood chip....

Not in Sweden. 

[mtls2005]

Hopefully, all the parts were included in the store "kit"?

 

Do they give the stores Swedish names?

 

 

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

Bought Kalles Kaviar (Swedish Caviar) and Knäckebröd (crispy hard bread) at the Mega Bagna store my son loves it, had to ask 10 staff where I can find the Swedish food before we found it, price was same as in Sweden so that's was OK, but the staff they should train better.

[overherebc]

43 minutes ago, transam said:

Termites just love wood chip....

Only the old ones with dentures.

[robblok]

1 hour ago, Thian said:

I wished they didn't stop selling the meatballs...they only have chicken and vegy balls now which are not nice.

I had the meatballs yesterday.

[akampa]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

small-format outlets

Unfortunately here in Chaing Mai we probably only get the small format outlets, not  enough population to warrant a large store pity ,but better than having to go every time to BKK.

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

1 minute ago, robblok said:

I had the meatballs yesterday.

I tried them too, not very good, dry and tasteless and the brown sauce tasted nothing. The Gravlax (marinated salmon) was OK.

[robblok]

52 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Good product range but terrible customer service. Index and SB do a better job in terms of attending to customer, delivery and after sales service. . 

Never had a problem with customer service there I am real happy Ikea opened up near my place. I went there yesterday and it was (as expected) really busy. Not a problem as its a 4 km ride to get there. I will be back there as there are many items that are worth buying. The sheets and towels, some foods. Not bad to have such a shop nearby. 

[robblok]

Just now, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

I tried them too, not very good, dry and tasteless and the brown sauce tasted nothing. The Gravlax (marinated salmon) was OK.

I think we differ about the taste I think the meatballs were good. But that is the thing about food we can discuss it endlessly. 

[mtls2005]

1 hour ago, Thian said:

I wished they didn't stop selling the meatballs...they only have chicken and vegy balls now which are not nice.

 

 

 

 

They used up all the horsemeat I guess?

 

 

[robblok]

29 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

Hopefully, all the parts were included in the store "kit"?

 

Do they give the stores Swedish names?

 

 

We bought a small salon table, quite cheap but it was not perfect, the more expensive things i bought there tend to be better.  The lower end of the stuff is a bit less of quality. The small salon table proofed to be perfect in the end with a small modification.

[Eric Loh]

1 minute ago, robblok said:

Never had a problem with customer service there I am real happy Ikea opened up near my place. I went there yesterday and it was (as expected) really busy. Not a problem as its a 4 km ride to get there. I will be back there as there are many items that are worth buying. The sheets and towels, some foods. Not bad to have such a shop nearby. 

Good on you but I had a nightmare of a service. I was keen on a kitchen cabinet and was told to check back periodically if they have stock. Contrast with SB, they have all the data of the next delivery batch and gave me a affirmative date. Left IKEA very unsatisfied with the service and immediate to SB and got all the service and information and order placed. Never go back IKEA since then. Bought all the furniture for my new house from SB and Index. 

[robblok]

45 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

Have to agree, I would have bought a couple of things by now if they actually had an online/delivery service.

It is only logical that they can't sell to every part of the country. I mean if you live far away it just means bad luck. Around Bangkok (the most important area in Thailand of course ) their delivery service works quite well. Years ago I bought an expensive cupboard there (huge sliding nice glass) for around 35.000 and let them install it and deliver it.. not a problem at all. But would indeed be better if you could pay online too.

[Thian]

11 minutes ago, robblok said:

I had the meatballs yesterday.

Great! i checked the online shop/menu but didn't see them....and last time in bangna they were sold out/not available.

 

I read they also give free coffee early in the morning, that's another new thing for Thailand.....hope more will follow. In Holland even supermarkets have free coffee (real coffee not nescafe).

[robblok]

2 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Good on you but I had a nightmare of a service. I was keen on a kitchen cabinet and was told to check back periodically if they have stock. Contrast with SB, they have all the data of the next delivery batch and gave me a affirmative date. Left IKEA very unsatisfied with the service and immediate to SB and got all the service and information and order placed. Never go back IKEA since then. Bought all the furniture for my new house from SB and Index. 

I think service is a hit and miss thing Eric, I ordered a nice expensive cupboard for in the bedroom i think it was around 35.000 and paid extra for them to install it and deliver it. Normal stuff I can do myself but this cupboard was huge and complicated. So i thought its better to have others install it (I am not worlds best handyman far from it). Now many years later its still good and i love it. 

 

I have had bad experience with other furniture shops in the past so it might be just luck. Anyway I am mostly happy with the small stuff you can buy. Like pillows and sheets and stuff (i prefer to have a wide selection and good quality) Their cooking utensils are good too (yea Im a bit crazy i like stuff like that). There is also some Swedish food that is good.

 

The only complaint I have is that they sell chocolate too cheap. Chocolate is my kryptonite bad for my diet and its as cheap as back hom (maybe a lil bit more expensive) but far cheaper then in the rest of Thailand. (always wondered why chocolate was expensive here)

[Thian]

2 minutes ago, robblok said:

It is only logical that they can't sell to every part of the country. I mean if you live far away it just means bad luck. Around Bangkok (the most important area in Thailand of course ) their delivery service works quite well. Years ago I bought an expensive cupboard there (huge sliding nice glass) for around 35.000 and let them install it and deliver it.. not a problem at all. But would indeed be better if you could pay online too.

I read on their website that they will open many more stores in Thailand, also in Isan and other poor area's.

Sure they will like the free coffee there and hotdogs/icecreams for 10 baht.

 

They will open a new store in asia every year from now on....and that will change thailand for good i tell ya. 

The mum and dad shops which won't show the price, don't show the sizes, have to search for the rollertape 10 minutes, don't know what's in stock, have no delivery and so on will go bankrupt soon. Also those shops still cost double of Ikea and that's after all importtax.

[robblok]

4 minutes ago, Thian said:

Great! i checked the online shop/menu but didn't see them....and last time in bangna they were sold out/not available.

 

I read they also give free coffee early in the morning, that's another new thing for Thailand.....hope more will follow. In Holland even supermarkets have free coffee (real coffee not nescafe).

If you get a family card or member card you can get free coffee. Yesterday there was such a line to apply for it i did not get one. I will get one at a more convenient time. 

[robblok]

1 minute ago, Thian said:

I read on their website that they will open many more stores in Thailand, also in Isan and other poor area's.

Sure they will like the free coffee there and hotdogs/icecreams for 10 baht.

 

They will open a new store in asia every year from now on....and that will change thailand for good i tell ya. 

The mum and dad shops which won't show the price, don't show the sizes, have to search for the rollertape 10 minutes, don't know what's in stock, have no delivery and so on will go bankrupt soon. Also those shops still cost double of Ikea and that's after all importtax.

One part of me agrees with you, we need more big shops like this for the competition. Ikea is good, but i doubt the likes of CP would ever let others enter Thailand. Groceries are here often quite expensive compared to abroad. I don't mean just foreign products.

 

On the other hand those mom and pop shops are giving some income to the locals. I won't buy there as its likely as a foreigner you get screwed over. Not always though but in places where they don't display prices its more likely.

[Thian]

1 minute ago, robblok said:

If you get a family card or member card you can get free coffee. Yesterday there was such a line to apply for it i did not get one. I will get one at a more convenient time. 

I see, i thought you didn't drink coffee or only if it's free??? 

 

I only drink coffee at home, it's the best and nothing beats that, not in Italy, Swiss, Singapore, Tokyo, Starbucks, holland....nowhere at all. They sell those percolators in Ikea and cheaper than in central.

 

I'll go there to buy a load of chocolate today, have been waiting for that. Also salmon, mustard and some more stuff...Ikea stainless steel can go in the dishwasher, try that with utensils from central!

 

In Bangna i saw loads of Thai all sitting on the sofa's, i bet soon they'll be laying on the beds taking a nap...free aircon, good bed, cheap icecream...what else do they need?