Ikea to integrate its stores in India with online trade

Gearing up to open its first store in India by 2017, Swedish furniture major Ikea also plans to integrate its outlets with online trading to facilitate customers.
Besides, the company would explore cities such as Chennai, Pune, Surat, Ahmedabad for its expansion after setting up stores (first) in Hyderabad followed by Mumbai, Delhi-NCR and Bangalore.
"We are rolling an e-commerce business in many countries of the world and we would also do that in India. We would start with building the brand with Ikea stores with good touch and feel...It would be combination of both and we would do both in India," Ikea India CEO Juvencio Maeztu told PTI.

On being asked that whether it would be an omni-channel system, he said: "Its more how can connect with the society through all the different touch points and we will do that in India."
IKEA has plans to open 25 stores by 2025 in different Indian cities with an aim to offer a wide range of home furnishing products.
"We are now building/studying a project in Mumbai and we are now looking for alliancing Karnataka and Delhi NCR," Maeztu said adding that Ikea is moving ahead in India as per its plan.

"We have started hiring for Hyderabad and we well in Mumbai," he said.

On being asked about further expansion, Maeztu said:" the next city would be Bangalore and Delhi NCR. From there we are keen to move to cities Chennai, Pune, Suart, Ahmedabad and we would keep growing like that."
Ikea, which has started construction of its Hyderabad store and has also bought land in Mumbai as part of its India expansion plan even as it scouts for more sites in Delhi-NCR, and Bangalore.
The company received government approval in 2013 for its Rs 10,500-crore proposal to open retail stores under 100 per cent FDI.