August 2020: Ingka Group news

• New store and planning studios open in China, Finland and South Korea
• BYGGLEK collection with Lego revealed 
• TaskRabbit, owned by Ingka Group, name new CEO  
• Sustainability key focus for IKEA

During August, IKEA opened one new store in China and two Planning Studios in Finland and South Korea, as IKEA continues its transformation to become more accessible, more affordable and more sustainable.

The grand opening of the IKEA Qingdao Store, the 31st store in China, took place on 13 August.

Qingdao is a fast-growing coastal city and this is the second IKEA store in the Shandong province. The new store is located conveniently next to the metro station and east bus terminal.

The store itself covers over 39,000 square metres and is home to almost 9,000 home furnishing and furniture products.

Both Finland and South Korea saw the opening of new IKEA Planning Studios, one of a number of different store formats bringing IKEA closer to the many people.

With the goal to make home furnishing even easier and more accessible than before, customers can choose products from kitchens, bedrooms or home smart solutions. They can then plan them together with experts.

The Helsinki studio features an extensive display of bedrooms. Located in Mannerheimintie and close to excellent transport links, customers can design and order large or smaller furnishing solutions as the entire product range can be ordered on the spot. It is then delivered to a collection point or directly to the customer’s home, even on the same day.

IKEA of Sweden & LEGO Group collaboration 
On 27 August, IKEA of Sweden AB and the LEGO Group revealed their long-awaited outcome of their collaboration – a playful storage solution called BYGGLEK. Consisting of a series of storage boxes with LEGO® studs and a special LEGO brick set, the new BYGGLEK collection aims to encourage play and infuse more fun into storage around the home.

With a strong belief that play makes both the home and the world a better place, IKEA of Sweden AB and the LEGO Group set out to remove barriers to play in daily life, whilst creating a practical yet playful experience that children and adults could enjoy together. 

The BYGGLEK collection will start to be available in existing IKEA retail channels throughout Europe (except Russia) and North America from 1 October. The global roll-out will happen in 2020.

TaskRabbit name Ania Smith as CEO 
TaskRabbit, the leading online and mobile service that connects consumers with “Taskers” to handle everyday home improvement tasks, announced Ania Smith as the company’s chief executive officer (CEO) on 11 August. Ingka Group acquired TaskRabbit in 2017 and Smith, the former Airbnb and Walmart eCommerce leader, will lead the company. 

“Ania impressed us with her extensive strategic and operational experience, knowledge of online marketplaces and vast experience in growing global businesses,” said Tolga Öncü, Chair of the TaskRabbit board and Global Retail Operations Manager at Ingka Group. 

Sustainability key focus for IKEA
Nearly one year ago, the Country Retail Managers of the IKEA retail businesses took on the role of Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO).  Jessica Anderen, Country Retail Manager and CSO for IKEA Switzerland has spoken about the aim to make sustainable living affordable for everyone in the country and that means making it relevant for the many people. Sustainability is also top of the agenda at the ONE HOME, ONE PLANET 2020 (OHOP) virtual event in early September. Why the event is held and what will be discussed is covered in this preview article. 

Our round-up for July is available here.