This Could Be the Best IKEA News Ever
IKEA is *amazing* — we all know this. They seem to have it all figured out when it comes to providing everything one needs for an epic shopping trip: home decor galore, ideas out the wazoo to engage your inner Martha Stewart, hacks on hacks on hacks and even an in-store cafe offering you delicious Swedish meatballs that fuel your shopping trip. While IKEA’S in-store shopping experience is nothing less than epic, they’ve been seriously lagging when it comes to a huge component of their business that would make shopping there way more convenient — until now.
The online portion of IKEA’S business is being completley overhauled to offer even more shoppable products and a smoother add-to-cart experience across all digital platforms, including tablets and mobile, according to CEO Peter Agnefjäll — and it’s about damn time, honestly. Currently, IKEA’s online shopping options are lackluster at best — there’s not a clear product pathway (it can be confusing to navigate), it’s difficult to search for specific products and feels a bit clunky because of its outdated design. Over the next five years, the Swedish furniture brand is making swiping + clicking part of the e-commerce experience and honestly, it’s a super smart move: There are so many products IKEA offers, so being able to quickly scroll through them will be key for keeping customers coming back to the site (and purchasing) instead of throwing in the towel at the thought of having to hit up one of its physical stores to purchase something.
This is great news for peeps who love the minimalistic designs IKEA is known for but don’t have the time (or patience) to dedicate all day to trekking through the store — because we all know that’s how any trip to IKEA goes. I’m sure you’ve wanted to “run in” to IKEA to “just grab one thing,” but it’s nearly impossible to do so with the store’s maze-like layout and enticing displays throughout, well, everywhere. The delish smells wafting from the cafe doesn’t help this quick-and-dirty shopping method, either, so we can’t wait for this new e-commerce platform to roll out. The online options will make our lives much easier, our homes better decorated, our minds filled with DIY-able ideas, but sadly, our stomachs will be left growling for Swedish meatballs, unless, that is a food delivery service is a part of this new plan ;) Fingers crossed — after all, we could use something to nibble on while we’re assembling our new furniture.
What’s your favorite item from IKEA? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
(h/t Racked)