Ikea Korea to open two more stores by first half of 2020

Home furnishing retailer Ikea Korea said Wednesday it will open two more stores in Korea by the end of the first half of 2020 and expand customer touchpoints within the capital. 

According to the Swedish furniture giant, Korea’s third Ikea store will open in Giheung, Gyeonggi Province, on Dec. 12. The first Ikea store to sit outside the Seoul and Gyeonggi Province metropolitan area, Ikea Dongbusan, will open in the first quarter of 2020. 

“Thanks to the great support and interest shown towards IKEA Gwangmyeong, Goyang and the e-commerce channel in the past year, we set a record of a total of 8.5 million visits to our stores and 38.5 million visits to our e-commerce channel within the first year of its launch,” said Ikea Korea’s Country Retail Manager Fredrik Johansson during a press conference held at an Ikea pop-up store in Gangnam on Wednesday.

For better accessibility, Johansson said the company is reviewing three to five candidate sites inside Seoul to open a customer touchpoint store where customers would be able to order items.

He also added that Ikea Korea will be investing in customer service and digital capabilities and strengthening its sustainability.

According to Ikea Korea, it recorded 503.2 billion won ($418 million) in sales during its 2019 financial year -- from August 2018 to this month -- inching up 5 percent on-year. 

By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com)