October 2020: Ingka Group news

• Ingka Group reports strong retail sales for fiscal year 2020
• Ingka Group launches IKEA Virtual Greenhouse, announces BuyBack Friday and participates in Count Us In
• IKEA Australia announces the first renewable energy-positive store
• IKEA Canada works to create lasting positive change in communities
• Ingka Group and partners share findings from survey around equality

During October, Ingka Group announced strong retail sales for fiscal year 2020
Despite the economic and public health challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the company continues to accelerate its retail transformation, repurposing its stores to fulfilment units, implementing click&collect services, offering pick-up and drive-through options, developing a more seamless IKEA experience with new digital solutions, and in some cases even turning store car parks into COVID-19 testing facilities for the communities.

With lockdowns affecting people all over the world, the home has never been more important. The increased interest to improve the home has resulted in strong online, as well as offline, visitation to the stores, 706 million (839 million FY19), and to IKEA.com, 3.6 billion (2.6 billion FY19).  

The company also invested EUR 600 million in line with its ambition to become people and planet positive by 2030, adding up the total of EUR 3.8 billion of investments into sustainability.

The launch of IKEA Virtual Greenhouse
As the outbreak of COVID-19 has clearly changed the lives of the many people, the home has become our sanctuary with a need for wellbeing and sustainable living. During Dutch Design Week, IKEA launched its Virtual Greenhouse platform, which is designed to help cultivate a more sustainable and balanced life at home.  

The IKEA Virtual Greenhouse contains a series of masterclasses, live talks and interactive experiences led by expert creatives in food, wellbeing, sustainability and botany. Each session answers the desire to make the home our sanctuary and provides practical insights, such as how to take care of your plants at home, tips for purifying water, preserving seeds and much more.

Ingka Group announces BuyBack Friday to transform the traditional Black Friday and foster circularity
This month, Ingka Group announced the BuyBack Friday campaign which invites customers to sell back their unwanted IKEA furniture. 

The campaign reshapes the traditional Black Friday and its purchase incentives, and it is one of the ways in which Ingka Group is transforming to promote and develop sustainable consumption for customers and contribute to a circular economy. It will run between 24 November and 3 December.

IKEA announces participation in Count Us In
On Saturday 10 October, IKEA announced its participation in the global movement Count Us In, launched at TED Countdown. The initiative aims to turn ideas into actions in order to combat climate change, by mobilising one billion people to take individual practical steps to reduce emissions and challenge leaders to act.

Jesper Brodin, CEO, Ingka Group, and Pia Heidenmark Cook, Chief Sustainability Officer, Ingka Group, joined the TED Countdown to share the company’s steps towards sustainable sourcing of materials and the redesigning of products to extend their lifespan without compromising on quality or affordability. 

The talk emphasised the need for long term planning as well as immediate action when it comes to mitigating climate change, while also highlighting the links between inequality and climate change. 

IKEA Australia announces the first renewable energy-positive store
Part of the Ingka Group journey to become climate positive by 2030, IKEA Australia has launched its first store to generate more renewable energy than it consumes. 

At the Adelaide store, the roof and parking areas are installed with solar panels. The store has an energy storage solution which will not only power the store in Adelaide, but will also support the South Australian power grid. 

The IKEA Australia Clean Energy Transformation Project is run in conjunction with Planet Ark Power, the South Australian Government, SA Power Networks and Epic Energy. It will transition IKEA Adelaide to operating with 100 per cent renewable energy by 2025 and will generate low cost and clean energy for the Adelaide community.

IKEA Canada works to create lasting positive change in communities
As a purpose-led organisation where equality, diversity and inclusion are core values, IKEA seeks to create lasting positive change in communities. In June, IKEA Canada recommitted to supporting greater ethnic and racial equity and inclusion in Canada for Black people, Indigenous people, and People of colour (BIPOC communities).

In the past three months, IKEA Canada has partnered with and donated over USD 200,000 to Canadian organisations dedicated to community support, advocacy, education and the advancement of systemic change, including The Black Solidarity Fund by CanadaHelps, National Association of Friendship Centres and Black Health Alliance. The company has also grown partnership with the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion to develop resources and education for co-workers and leaders.

Ingka Group and partners share findings from survey around equality
The findings of the equality survey conducted by Ingka Group and GlobeScan have now been shared and it indicates there is room for improvement on equality in society. 

The global research delved into attitudes and behaviours around equality with over 17,000 people across 17 countries. It shows that only four in ten people are satisfied with equality in their country and that people associate equality mainly with topics of gender, and ethnicity, race and nationality.