Everything is ready for the Swedish furniture and home accessories brand Ikea to start its operations in Colombia. The first opening will take place before the end of the year in the Mallplaza Shopping Center, in Bogotá, where it will find the largest store in South America.
Similarly, there are two openings planned for 2024, one in Cali (Mallplaza), and the other in the Viva Envigado shopping center, where it has more than 18,000 square meters of surface and plans to start operations in the second part.
Knowing that it has thousands of Colombians waiting, Ikea gave a taste of what it will bring to Colombia and defined the spaces that it is finishing the store that is about to open in Bogotá.
In the 26,000 square meters, he said, once they enter, people will have paper, pencil and tape that they can use to measure how the brand’s products will fit in their homes. “With these tools in hand, they will be able to tour more than 40 exhibition rooms recreating real rooms, not only with furniture but also with decorative items.”
Gastronomic offer
Likewise, one of the factors that differentiates the brand, which competes strongly with players such as Homecenter or Easy, is the gastronomic offer. In this sense, it announced that it has a Swedish Market that will offer many typical products from that country and a wide base of plant-based foods.
Also, it has a restaurant and a bistro where guests can taste iconic Swedish preparations such as meatballs, as well as local dishes with a variety of mealtime options.
And, for parents who want, the company notes that it has a children’s area, dedicated to toys, stuffed animals and decorations for children.
The operation of numbers
Beyond these additional spaces, it must be said that the total offer of Ikea in the country consists of nearly 6,000 furniture and decoration products, such as interior items, accessories, sofas, dining tables, bedding, organizers and storage and home office items.
Since the middle of this year, the Swedish company has consolidated its workforce in the national territory, so it has opened 700 jobs for its store, distribution center and administrative offices.
“Those who visit us can open the closets and imagine their clothes inside. Try the comfort of a sofa or bed. Check how many people fit at one table and mix it up with different chairs,” said Alejandro Chaves, Operations and Customer Experience Manager at Ikea Colombia.
It is worth noting that Ikea currently has more than 400 stores in 62 markets and Colombia will be a strategic business in the region.
