Swedish furniture retailer IKEA plans to bring in a slight change in its strategy to sell products in India. The firm is looking at tweaking the designs of its furniture and other product range to suit the varied tastes of Indian consumers.

Talking on the sidelines of the India Retail Forum, Juvencio Maetzu, Country Manger, IKEA India, said that the Indian market was very different and also one of the most important as far as growth was concerned. “So we have to slightly tweak our model with designs and pricing, keeping in mind the Indian consumers and the dynamics of the retail industry here,” he said.

“We believe in democratic design, one that will combine design and price along with quality and function. This is a part of the company’s DNA as we remain obsessed with low price,” Maetzu said.

However, the company will not make any changes as far as the size of the store is concerned. It will stick to its large-format store of about a million sq ft since it is the requirement of any typical furniture store.

“Our focus is on emerging markets such as India and China,” Maetzu said.

Meanwhile, retail consultants are of the opinion that the “tweaks in model” strategy is a smart move by retailers to help connect with consumers.

“IKEA doesn’t sell furniture, but ideas. Hence they have to understand the market before selling an idea,” said Piyush Kumar Sinha, Chairperson, Centre for Retailing, IIM Ahmedabad.

Priyanka.pani@thehindu.co.in

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW