IKEA Launches Its Second Indian Store In Navi Mumbai Spanning Over 500,000 SqFt
The Swedish home furnishings giant IKEA launches its second-ever retail outlet in India, in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra. Part of Ingka Group, IKEA opened its first Indian store in Hyderabad in August 2018, followed by online stores in Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Pune.
Design Pataki attended IKEA’s virtual press conference which preceded the store opening, on December 17th 2020. The conference highlighted IKEA’s mission both in a larger context and with respect to the Navi Mumbai store, acknowledging the effect of the pandemic on how people live at home. “Lately we have all experienced that our Homes have become even more important,” says Per Hornell, Market and Expansion Manager at IKEA India. “IKEA is passionate about Home Furnishings and when visiting our new store in Navi Mumbai, customers will find inspiring solutions and everything they need for their home at low prices.” The narrative of affordable design ran throughout the conference, with the company’s many initiatives of sustainability and ethical design woven into it; highlighting how the two do not have to be mutually exclusive. In fact, amongst its long-term goals, IKEA plans to use only renewable and recycled materials in its products by 2030.
Spanning over 500,000 sqft, the Navi Mumbai store houses more than 7000 affordable and sustainable home furnishing products including some of IKEA’s iconic offerings such as the BILLY Bookcase, MALM Bed, EKTORP Sofa, among others. The store also features the largest children’s area ‘Småland’ in IKEA globally, along with one of the biggest 1,000-seater restaurants with almost a hundred percent locally-sourced food range. In order to adapt their design sensibilities to best suit Mumbai’s homes and ways of living, IKEA conducted a visit of over 2000 homes in the city. The learnings have been reflected in 50 room sets, 6 homes, and 10 vignettes depicting life at home in Mumbai. IKEA aims to provide solutions for small spaces, storage, and multi-functionality for fluid living – most of which characterize Mumbai’s residential lifestyle.
IKEA’s relationship with India goes far beyond the Hyderabad and Navi Mumbai stores. For over 35 years, the Swedish company has been sourcing from India with 50 suppliers, 45,000 direct employees, and 400,000 people in the extended supply chain in India producing for IKEA stores worldwide. IKEA also works with Indian social entrepreneurs, engaging 1500+ women artisans to produce unique limited-edition products for its global stores.
