Swedish furniture giant Ikea said Monday it plans to expand its small-format store network in South Korea, targeting urban locations to drive more frequent visits from consumers.
The move reflects the Korean market’s rhythms, where dense urban living and busy everyday lives make planned trips to large suburban stores a tougher ask, the company explained.
“As Ikea Korea enters its 11th year, we are focused on broadening our presence, sharpening our omnichannel offering and upgrading our services,” said Isabel Puig, CEO of Ikea Korea. “Customers often have to plan visits to our large stores. We want to be part of their daily routines instead.”
In a pivot toward frequency over scale, it aims to open smaller-format stores, each under 1,000 square meters, in mixed-use shopping centers.
Following the opening of a city-format location in Gwangju last year, Ikea plans additional sites in Incheon, Daegu and Daejeon by 2027. The stores will stock roughly 400 core items for immediate purchase, with the rest available via delivery or in-store pickup.
Ikea Korea has already opened 13 pop-up stores and expanded its digital channels. According to the company, total visits across online and offline channels reached about 62 million last year, up 7 percent from a year earlier, while e-commerce sales rose 13 percent on-year.
Ikea is also building out services across delivery, consultation and pickup, including next-day parcel delivery, one-on-one interior consultations, and expanded kitchen planning and home-renovation services.
The company said it would keep deepening the concept of home furnishing in the local market while balancing quality, sustainability and low prices in product development to reinforce its brand identity.
“Ikea will continue to expand touchpoints where customers can experience its products firsthand, while developing offerings that blend Swedish design with Korea’s distinct living culture,” Puig said.
minmin@heraldcorp.com
