Today, at 10:00h local time, IKEA Timișoara, the first IKEA store in the western part of Romania and the third in the country, welcomed its first customers.
The newest IKEA store opened its doors after the symbolical tree planting ceremony, which emphasized the company’s vision to create a better everyday life for the many people. The opening got together representatives from IKEA – Ekaterina Egorova, CEO IKEA Southeast Europe and Nicoletta Muscinelli, Market Manager at IKEA Timisoara – as well as partners and authorities’ representatives, including Dominic Fritz, Mayor of Timișoara and Therese Hyden, Ambassador of Sweden in Romania.
"IKEA has been present in the Romanian market for 16 years and we are truly happy to have reached this important milestone today – open our first store in the country’s western region. The total value of investment is EUR 60 million, which enabled us to build the most sustainable IKEA store in Southeast Europe and create almost 300 new jobs."– Nicoletta Muscinelli, Market Manager of IKEA Timișoara
The new store covers 26,000 square meters, offering a wide selection of 8,300 home furnishing products that reflect the IKEA philosophy of Democratic Design, combining form, function, quality, sustainability, and low price.
"Physical IKEA stores remain an essential part of our business model and one of our biggest strengths. I am excited that with this new store we are not only bringing our affordable range and unique in-store experience to many more people in Romania, but also upgrading our online delivery capacities for the entire market. Ensuring such dual role for most of our stores globally will stay in our focus."– Tolga Öncü, Head of IKEA Retail, Ingka Group
The new IKEA Timișoara store’s parking of 754 spots is equipped with 12 EV stations and an infrastructure created for a future extension that can sustain up to 150 electrical charging stations. The store operates on renewable energy, is powered by 1750 photovoltaic panels on the roof and uses a geothermal power plant for energy consumption. As part of the company’s Skills for Employment program, 25 refugees have joined the store’s team in several departments.
The new store in Romania is part of Ingka Group’s EUR 3 billion commitment to further expand globally and upgrade its existing stores to ensure seamless customer experience physically and digitally.
About Ingka Group
With IKEA retail operations in 31 markets, Ingka Group is the largest IKEA retailer and represents about 90% of IKEA retail sales. It is a strategic partner to develop and innovate the IKEA business and help define common IKEA strategies. Ingka Group owns and operates IKEA sales channels under franchise agreements with Inter IKEA Systems B.V. It has three business areas: IKEA Retail, Ingka Investments and Ingka Centres. Read more on ingka.com.
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