Ikea Finally Gets Its Head Round Online Shopping

Ikea may have initially eschewed online selling and then entered the market at a tentative, even leisurely pace.

But it latest figures suggest it has finally tackling the internet head on with a 29 per cent increase in online sales over the past year. That helped total sales to rise 3.1 per cent to £1.27 billion in the year to August.

Ikea has extended its online product range to 7,500 products, 80 per cent of its full range, as it aims to reach a wider demographic who cannot all access its stores or do not want to. It has also extended home delivery to cover most regions.

It has also added a mobile site towards the end of the financial period and extended wi-fi to all its stores to allow customers to order immediately as they browse in store.

Gillian Drakeford, Ikea UK retail manager, said: 'We have worked hard to put a renewed focus on the customer over the past year, understanding how they live, their needs, dreams and wants in the home as well as learning about how they want to shop with us, in order to offer them the best value for money home furnishings.'


She added: 'With the continued uncertainty around the recovery from the recession, we have continued to invest across our online and in-store shopping channels to create a simpler, more convenient and enjoyable experience.'

Ikea said its market share increased 0.2 percentage points to 6.4 per cent during the period.