IKEA takes another step towards the launch of UAE's largest retail store

Speaking on the soon to opened store, Tarja Arvela, Marketing Manager, IKEA UAE, said, "The IKEA philosophy is to offer customers functional home furniture and furnishing at prices so low that it can be accessible to as many people as possible. We offer functional and inspiring solutions for every area of a home. With the new four times bigger store in Dubai, we will be able to showcase more of the width and depth of our increased range of 6500 products whilst providing more inspiration with our 54 room-sets that will be regularly revitalized."

The new IKEA store at DFC is set to implement the true IKEA concept that is reflected at IKEA stores around the world. The outlet will have a huge self-serve area where individuals will be able to take home 90% of the products the very same day. In addition, the new store will provide solutions for customers' various lifestyle situations, an important element, as the IKEA UAE customer base reflects a vibrant mix of nationalities who bring along different tastes and lifestyle situations.

IKEA, globally known for its unique mechanical sales concept, has price tags on each product across the store that also includes extensive product information, making it easy for customers to make buying decisions. The price tags additionally indicate the self serve area from here the product can be picked up. Many of the IKEA products are flat-packed, which assist in price reduction whilst also making it easier for self home delivery.

"The plans for the new store are all going according to the schedule. To prepare our customers for the new store visit, we recently launched the 2006 IKEA catalogue. The products and prices indicated is our new catalogue will not only be available at the soon to be launched store at DFC but are currently applicable to our stores in Deira City Centre, Dubai and Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi. We are presently mass distributing the IKEA catalogue to most households in the country completely free of cost and areas covered will include Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Northern Emirates. This year we have teamed up with Blue Truck for our Catalogue distribution, which is the distribution arm of Blue Pages", added Arvela.

The IKEA catalogue, which has the world's largest print-run, works as an invitation to IKEA stores preparing customers for the store visit on the products on display, their prices along with tips and ideas, solutions and functions for furnishing. Many IKEA customers are said to keep the catalogue through the entire year as a reference point for products displayed at the outlet. This year, the prices mentioned in the new catalogue will be valid until August 2006. Building from the 2005 catalogue form, being almost 300-pages strong, the IKEA 2006 catalogue has a special focus on Bedrooms and Kitchens.

"With experience of the ever-increasing visitor numbers at the Deira City Centre store, the new four times larger store at Dubai Festival City we will be able to cater to our customer needs more efficiently. DFC store will have 22 cashier counters as opposed to seven in the Deira City Centre and will be further backed by a team of 300 strong, well trained staff serving and advising customers on their purchases. This will surely ease traffic during peak periods", said Arvela.

In addition to the increased range and bigger shopping area, the new store will also have 1,200 parking spaces. For IKEA restaurant fans, the new store will have a much larger restaurant which will accommodate 300 people. Children will also be well catered for with a special children's menu and better play facilities situated at different sections across the store.

"As a novelty, our new store will house the first ever Swedish Foodmarket in the Middle East. This concept is a delicatessen that will offer a variety of typical Scandinavian food, some of which being delicacies most of us have only heard and dreamed about", added Arvela.

With the new largest store in the Middle East, IKEA, the world's largest home furnishing store, clearly promises an even better shopping experience to customers in the UAE market.