IKEA opened its doors in Umeå back in February 2016 - a long-awaited establishment that has come to mean a lot to the Umeå region from both a retail and hospitality perspective. Like other retailers, IKEA Umeå has adapted to the current pandemic-related circumstances. Services such as click and collect and remote planning help customers make purchases without visiting the store.
- We saw early on a change in the buying behaviour of our customers and they have responded well to the restrictions that exist in our region. For example, through the click and collect service, which is not a new service, we have been able to maintain service and sales. However, given the pandemic, we chose to lower the price of the offer and on some days we have increased sales through Click and collect by as much as 400 percent compared to before the pandemic," says Mari Gustafsson, store manager at IKEA Umeå.
Another service launched by IKEA is Remote planning, a service where the customer's planning of their kitchen, bathroom and wardrobes has been digitised and offered via Teams with an IKEA sales representative. Via the IKEA website, the customer makes an appointment with a sales representative, whereby the planning and design of a new kitchen, bathroom and wardrobes can be done without having to visit the store.
- Being able to sit at home and get advice and help from our sales staff in designing their new kitchen has been a success factor. We have accelerated our development in terms of IT and it has really helped our customers who choose not to visit the department store but instead want to manage their purchases from home," says Mari Gustafsson.
- We also see that the customers who choose to visit the department store adapt well to the guidelines that are in place. The new rule of a maximum of 500 visitors in department stores and malls has not affected IKEA in Umeå, but we see that the average time spent in the store has decreased, Mari continues.
For IKEA, the safety and security of staff and customers is very important. Keeping your distance is important and in addition, all employees who have customer contact are offered the opportunity to use visors to protect themselves and visitors. In addition, hand sanitizers are available throughout the store, as well as plexiglass at checkout and customer service stations.
IKEA has responded to the challenges of the pandemic by creating the conditions for increased e-commerce and developing the online and service services already available. The response has been positive. And by helping each other and working together across the business, no permanent staff have had to be made redundant.
Mari Gustafsson, IKEA store manager, will soon leave Umeå and IKEA for Linköping and a public sector assignment. At eXpression, we would like to thank Mari for her valuable contribution to eXpression Future Retail Lab's strategic council where she has been involved since its inception in 2019. And last but not least for her amazing work in and for Umeå.
THANK YOU!
