International Sales
International Burch University
In late 2023, the International Burch University in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina wanted to surprise their 3,000 students with an all-new library and gallery, as well as co-working spaces, social spaces and corridors. The catch? They only had a few months to do it all!
With the start of the February 2024 semester as their very tight deadline, and the busy holiday season in between, this wasn't a challenge the team at the International Burch University could achieve alone. With no IKEA store in their country, they turned to IKEA’s International Sales team.
“We had previously worked with the International Sales team on a smaller order and that all went so well, so it was a no-brainer to partner with them again on something bigger,” said Zerina Novalić. The university’s team worked with the International Sales team to select 100 IKEA products for the various spaces, mainly focusing on different types of tables, chairs, sofas, lighting and storage solutions.
Since this order was on a tight timeline over a busy period, the International Sales team had to get creative. Typically, they source all products from the IKEA Delft store. This time, they worked with multiple stores in the Netherlands as well as the Western Europe Distribution Centre to track down all the products on the university’s wish list.
From start to finish, the International Sales team’s goal is always to make everything simple and seamless – and help clients save money along the way. Oz Friedmann from the International Sales team shared, “We work hard to maximise the space of the trucks to help the university save money on shipping. The truck loading is free, we handle the export procedure and there is no added sales tax”.
International Burch University was happy with the whole process, taking comfort in knowing that if anything happens, IKEA is there. Zerina shared, “We’re looking forward to working with the International Sales team again to redesign other areas of the university.”
