Inside IKEA's English-friendly digital transformation and game-changing new offerings

Ever since they opened their doors for the first time in the 1950s, IKEA stores have been known for producing stylish, modern furniture at prices everybody can afford. Today, they cater to millions of customers every year with over 400 stores around the world.

In the Czech Republic, shoppers have a choice of two stores in Prague, one in Brno, and one in Ostrava. And while the brick-and-mortar stores have an undeniable appeal and are an important part of IKEA‘s business model, the company is growing its offer of services that make life easier for customers based in the Czech Republic.

English-friendly website

One of the newest additions for IKEA shoppers in the Czech Republic is the launch of the English version of the IKEA.cz website.

He believes that the English version of the IKEA.cz website will help improve the way foreigners browse for inspiration while allowing them to read critical info about the product range for complete ease of customer experience.

Newly opened planning studio

Looking for room design, a bedroom project, or small space living solutions? IKEA expert planners can now help with your home renovation and refresh projects.

This past July, IKEA also opened a brand-new concept planning studio in Westfield Chodov that offers décor and organization advice.

"We are offering personalized English-friendly one-on-one consultancy, where customers can come with their own ideas or tell us their needs,“ explains Šašek.

"They can arrange a meeting with our Home Furnishing expert, plan and order from our complex range of home furnishing solutions for kitchen, bedroom, storage, bathroom, and other interior needs.“ Businesses can also seek help to furnish their offices, event spaces, even cafes.

Personal advice on designing and organizing your entire home, not just the kitchen

While this is a brand-new concept for the Czech Republic, it follows models used successfully in Copenhagen, Manhattan, and London. From consulting to ordering, the IKEA Planning Studio makes it easy to design, get a quote, and order your IKEA goods.

"The advantage of this service is that you can not only easily plan your kitchen – something that we’ve been offering for a while – but also your whole home,“ Šašek says.

"Our experts have the right skills to offer feedback on your choices and provide advice on your original plans, covering blind spots when you are in doubt about what to do with your space.“

Newly launched pick-up boxes

IKEA is making the digital experience easier than ever by adding the option to order goods from home and having them delivered to lockers located in front of the IKEA Zličín, Černý Most, and Brno stores.

Pick-up from the boxes is available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. During the pandemic, this is also a safe contactless solution, especially as an alternative to shopping during busier store times.

This is a welcome addition to IKEA’s already popular and well-established non-branded pick-up points around the country. This network offers a solution for when you want to pick up an order yourself but the store is a bit too far out of the way. By using the pick-up points, you can shop online and your order will be delivered closer to you without having to rely on a transportation service.

Distribution points are now open at Hradec Králové, České Budějovice, Plzeň, Ústí nad Labem, Liberec, Olomouc, and Jihlava and Zlín and mobile pick up points at Karviná, Havířov, Třinec, Frýdek-Místek and Karlovy Vary. Bringing your products home yourself is a convenient and affordable alternative to home delivery.

A new app for interactive, remote shopping

This September, IKEA also released a new shopping app to make shopping from home a fun and interactive experience. "The app provides a variety of inspiration and ideas for our customers, the possibility to manage shopping lists, and a chance to check out IKEA Family offers,“ Šašek says.

It also allows you to confirm the availability of any product at the store location of your choice and order it through the app. You can even use the app at the store to scan a product’s label to see more details about it and even read reviews.

Even better, the app is available in English as well. "We’re also preparing new app features that will make it even easier for our customers to shop, including a Shop & Go function in our stores and visual search, he adds.