Bringing IKEA Closer to Our Customers: An Update on Our U.S. Growth Story

For more than 40 years, IKEA has proudly been part of American life, growing alongside our customers while staying true to our vision: to create a better everyday life for the many people. As the way people shop for their homes continues to evolve, so do we. Today, customers move seamlessly between online and in-store shopping, expecting faster delivery and convenient access to shopping and services closer to where they live, work, and shop.

To meet our customers where they are and position IKEA for growth, we announced a $2.2 billion investment in 2023 to accelerate our omnichannel transformation and become even more affordable, accessible and sustainable. Since then, we have been developing new store formats, digital experiences, and fulfillment capabilities designed to bring IKEA closer to the many people and inspire more customers to design their dream space.

IKEA has long been known for beautifully designed, inspirational room settings featured in our traditional big blue box stores – an expansive shopping experience that customers plan a day around, complete with our winding showrooms and Swedish meatballs. These flagship stores remain central to how we meet customers. At the same time, customers want greater flexibility in how and where they shop. To complement our traditional stores, we have expanded into a range of new smaller-footprint formats in high-traffic areas, opening 29 new meeting points in FY26: 9 small format stores carrying our full range, 10 Plan and order points, and 10 new meeting points inside Best Buy locations.

These new formats are designed to make IKEA more accessible and convenient:

• Small-format stores. One tenth the size of our big blue box stores, small-format stores are located in high-traffic shopping centers and cities. These locations combine planning services with an efficient shopping experience and a curated product range.
  
  
• Plan and order points with pick-up. These locations provide personalized support for projects such as kitchens, bedrooms, and bathrooms, while also giving customers a convenient place to collect online orders.
• IKEA in Best Buy. As a pilot in Florida & Texas, our in-store Best Buy shopping experience makes it easier to integrate appliances into IKEA kitchens and laundry areas.
  
  

At the same time, IKEA is thoughtfully evolving its store network to meet changing customer needs - balancing growth in emerging communities with updates to, and in some cases closures of, locations that no longer align with shopping behaviors. This approach allows the company to focus investments where they can have the greatest impact while continuing to improve accessibility and convenience for customers nationwide.

Enhancing digital services for ease and convenience

At the heart of our digital transformation is customer personalization and ease of use. As more customers browse, plan and design their homes online before visiting a store, IKEA is investing in the technology and services that connect every step of the customer journey.

Recent changes include:

• Improved website, app and in-store navigation tools. It’s easier now for customers to find inspiration, discover products, and plan home furnishing projects.
  
  
• A Spanish-language website. Customers can shop, plan, and engage with IKEA in the language that works best for them.
  
  
• New fulfillment and returns capabilities. We are extending self-service returns across both parcel and large-item purchases to create a more seamless post-purchase experience.
  
  
• More choice and control for customers at checkout. Mobile Point of Sale, Shop & Go and more flexible payment experiences give customers greater choice in how they complete their purchases, whether through traditional checkout, self-service or mobile-enabled options.
  
  
• Tailored online and in-app experiences. Customers receive personalized recommendations and experiences based on their locations and shopping history.
  
  
• Digitized and simplified everyday processes for co-workers. We’re investing in new AI and digital tools and upskilling opportunities for our co-workers, making it easier for them to access information so they can spend more time focused on customers.
  
  

However our customers choose to shop, we want to make it easier to bring IKEA home. As IKEA expands across the U.S., we are modernizing our fulfillment network to better connect stores, pick-up points, and delivery services into one seamless experience. These investments are improving speed and availability while helping keep prices affordable.

To support this evolution, IKEA is investing in:

Expanded fulfillment in stores. More than two-thirds of customer fulfillment is now powered through local IKEA stores, a 25% increase over the last two years. Localized fulfillment helps increase speed and lowers delivery miles and emissions, which supports our sustainability goals.

Enhanced visibility across our network. Our new Delivery Management Platform connects stores, inventory, and delivery data, giving co-workers and customers more visibility into the delivery journey.

Expanded logistics partnerships and pick-up options. Logistics providers like FedEx help make pick-up and delivery more convenient in more communities. Today, we have more than 15,000 pick-up points across the U.S.

Expanding with purpose
As IKEA continues to grow, sustainability remains a key priority. By expanding into existing retail spaces whenever possible, the company can enter new markets quickly while reducing the need for new construction. IKEA is also investing in clean energy and energy efficiency upgrades across its store network, including additional solar installations and more efficient heating and cooling systems. To support circular living and provide customers with more affordable options, IKEA has expanded its Buyback program to all large-format stores across the U.S., giving pre-loved furniture a second life.

Looking ahead to future growth

Our ambition hasn’t changed in 40 years - to make well-designed, functional, high-quality home furnishings affordable and accessible to the many people. By staying close to customers and adapting to their needs, we’re building an IKEA that is more convenient, more connected and more accessible than ever before.

About IKEA

At IKEA, the vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people by offering well-designed, functional and affordable, high-quality home furnishing, produced with care for people and the environment. Ingka Group (Ingka Holding B.V. and its controlled entities) is one of 12 different groups of companies that own and operate IKEA retail under franchise agreements with Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Ingka Group has three business areas: IKEA Retail, Ingka Investments and Ingka Centres. Ingka Group is a strategic partner in the IKEA franchise system, operating 415 IKEA stores in 32 countries – including 61 retail locations in the U.S.

For more information on IKEA U.S.