Went to our local Index today and up until now have assumed that they were just following the IKEA trend but was told by a staff member that they were part of the same group. It seems unlikely that IKEA would rebrand for this country but I remember the staff at the opening of what was going to be the first branch of Habitat in New York having to stay up all night to change all the ticketing to read "Conran Store" due to some legal action so I guess anything might be possible.

If nothing else, the people behind Index have done a fairly good job - anyone know the real story?

Edited March 10, 200818 yr by Greenside

Went to our local Index today and up until now have assumed that they were just following the IKEA trend but was told by a staff member that they were part of the same group. It seems unlikely that IKEA would rebrand for this country but I remember the staff at the opening of what was going to be the first branch of Habitat in New York having to stay up all night to change all the ticketing to read "Conran Store" due to some legal action so I guess anything might be possible.

If nothing else, the people behind Index have done a fairly good job - anyone know the real story?

Maybe it could be to do with if you pronounce IKEA with the addition of Thai tones it can mean something very different, that I should think is not a good thing to call a shop in Thailand.

Index are a Thai company using a similar business model to IKEA.

A year or so ago IKEA announced that they were not going to set up in Thailand due to "unfavourable conditions" in other words they want to own their company not some nominee. This was when the Foreign Business Act was in one of its attempts to get through parliament. They said they would invest the 2Bil Baht in other countries. There was along thread on it at the time if you want to search for it.

Index are a Thai company using a similar business model to IKEA.

A year or so ago IKEA announced that they were not going to set up in Thailand due to "unfavourable conditions" in other words they want to own their company not some nominee. This was when the Foreign Business Act was in one of its attempts to get through parliament. They said they would invest the 2Bil Baht in other countries. There was along thread on it at the time if you want to search for it.

Correct; Thailand is not on Ikea's list:

http://www.ikea.com/

&

http://franchisor.ikea.com/

And if the people of 'Index' are telling they are from the same group...well, they're naughty...and not telling the truth

LaoPo

Edited March 11, 200818 yr by LaoPo

Index are a Thai company using a similar business model to IKEA.

A year or so ago IKEA announced that they were not going to set up in Thailand due to "unfavourable conditions" in other words they want to own their company not some nominee. This was when the Foreign Business Act was in one of its attempts to get through parliament. They said they would invest the 2Bil Baht in other countries. There was along thread on it at the time if you want to search for it.

Correct; Thailand is not on Ikea's list:

http://www.ikea.com/

&

http://franchisor.ikea.com/

And if the people of 'Index' are telling they are from the same group...well, they're naughty...and not telling the truth

LaoPo

Disagree with you.

They are "in the same group of shops selling furniture which is similar to IKEA furniture, which includes IKEA itself."

Index have existed in UK for many years, since before I left which was 25 years ago, so I don't think they are a Thai company.

They were well known for selling cheap crap furniture but having visited the Index Living Mall in Pattaya I'm a little impressed. The Index own brand furniture stuff is still cheap crap but they have some good quality stuff from other manufacturers.

Index have existed in UK for many years, since before I left which was 25 years ago, so I don't think they are a Thai company.

They were well known for selling cheap crap furniture but having visited the Index Living Mall in Pattaya I'm a little impressed. The Index own brand furniture stuff is still cheap crap but they have some good quality stuff from other manufacturers.

I seem to recall Index is owned by a Thai. http://www.indexlivingmall.com/en/about/home.php

IKEA has nothing to do with Index.

Index is owned by a Thai and has nothing to do with IKEA - I have met him and the person responsible for the Thai market for IKEA, currently based in SG.