Bringing the IKEA brand closer to the people of Paris
In the summer of 2019, IKEA Paris La Madeleine opened its doors in the heart of the French capital. La Madeleine is part of a new strategy to bring the IKEA brand closer to people – but smaller IKEA stores have actually been around for a long time.
Most people associate us with large stores in the suburbs, but there are markets such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Canary Islands, that have had successful smaller stores for several decades. “Up until recently they were exceptions. Now we want to bring that experience to new markets around the world”, says Pär Gustafsson, Customer Meeting Point Manager at Inter IKEA Systems B.V.
“Up until recently they were exceptions. Now we want to bring all that experience to new markets around the world.”
Pär Gustafsson, Customer Meeting Point Manager at Inter IKEA Systems B.V.
More people than ever before are moving into city centres, and more are doing their shopping online. In order to stay accessible, affordable and sustainable we need to adapt.
“We’re testing a number of different formats that increase customer convenience, make home delivery more cost-efficient and much more. Stores like IKEA La Madeleine are a way to bring IKEA products and services closer to our customers. That way we give people a chance to get inspired and to try out our products without having to travel so far”, says Pär.
In Paris more than 2 million people live within a 20-minute public transport ride of the IKEA La Madeleine store, which is situated next to a metro station and just a short walk from the Champs Elysees avenue. During the first four months the store had nearly 1.3 million visitors.