Ikea has confirmed it will bring a megastore to Auckland, like the big-box shops it has in other countries around the world. Photo / Getty
Ikea has confirmed it will bring a megastore to Auckland, like the big-box shops it has in other countries around the world. Photo / Getty
Kiwis will get the "full Ikea experience", with the Swedish furniture giant confirming it will bring a megastore to New Zealand with 7000 products and a restaurant.
The company said that megastore will be in Auckland, though hasn't specified where or when it will be built. It will also launchan online shop and has plans for another store outside New Zealand's biggest city.
While Kiwis will have to wait years for that store to be built, Ikea said it would in the meantime bring a pop-up shop to give "consumers a taste of what's to come".
This was the message delivered by Ikea boss Jesper Brodin and market leader Will Edwards in Auckland today.
While the first store flagship store will be located in Auckland, Brodin said the whole nation would be able to access the products through online delivery.
There was also good news for meatball lovers, in that the Auckland venue would be getting one of the company's iconic restaurants.
The flagship store in Auckland will employ around 200 people, and Edwards said that Ikea would be looking to fill these roles in the lead up to the launch.
It will, however, be a waiting game, with the company executives saying that the Auckland store will only open in a few years as it would have to built.
Consumers will have to get their Ikea fix from the pop-up store in the city until then.
These details come off the back of last month's announcement that Ingka Group had been granted exclusive rights to explore expansion opportunities in New Zealand.
After much speculation, it was today confirmed that the store would be large format.
Today, the executives confirmed the company would be making a big digital push, which give New Zealanders across the North and South Island access to Ikea products.
Brodin has recently placed enormous emphasis on Ikea's online delivery model, which it is looking to scale across numerous countries.
Brodin's arrival in New Zealand follows his flying visit to Australia, where he outlined details on the company's strategy in global markets.
While in Australia, he said the company was interested in launching smaller-format stores that offered same-day delivery.
There was speculation that this strategy may result in a smaller stores being opened in the local market. And this does seem likely with the announcement of a South Island store in addition to the Auckland site.
News of Ikea's arrival has quickly sparked a media frenzy in the local market, with many shoppers excited at the prospect of having access to the well-loved brand in the local market.
The speaking venue has been set up to resemble an Ikea store. Photo/Aimee Shaw.
Globally, Ikea reaches 1.2 billion customers in more than 50 markets.
The company has garnered something of a cult following across the world and the brand has been widely integrated into numerous pop culture references.
Democratic design
Brodin spoke today about the importance of "democratic design" to the company.
He described it as an incredibly difficult challenge, which focuses on designing items that are beautiful, useful and affordable.
He said that so often the most beautiful items tend to be expensive, while the cheaper utilitarian options don't offer the style consumers are looking for.
He said the aim of Ikea was to ensure the company met all those tenets through its products.
One such product that has attracted global renown, and which will be available in New Zealand, is the Billy bookcase.
While it is simply a bookcase, the product has become massively popular due to its stylish design and the quality of its construction.
