• Skip to main content

DistilINFO Retail

Daily News from Retail Industry.

  • Publications
    • Home
    • DistilINFO HealthPlan
    • DistilINFO HospitalIT
    • DistilINFO IT
    • DistilINFO Retail
    • DistilINFO POPHealth
    • DistilINFO Ageing
    • DistilINFO Life Sciences
    • DistilINFO GovHealth
    • DistilINFO EHS
    • DistilINFO HealthIndia
    • Subscribe
    • Contact Us
    • Newsletters

Ikea’s new app has a feature to rival Amazon, Target, and Wayfair

Share:

May 30, 2019

Ikea is making it easier to shop for furniture without leaving your couch.

The global retailer is unrolling a new app called Ikea Place, which will use augmented reality to allow customers to both visualize and purchase products remotely.

But Ikea shoppers in the United States will have to wait a bit before they can begin using the new app. Reuters reported that France and the Netherlands will be the first two markets to unleash Ikea Place. Major markets like the United States are slated to receive the new technology by the end of 2019.

“The new IKEA app will offer enhancements, including an inspirational feed which enables you to find, chose and buy fast from pictures of room sets,” an Ikea spokesperson said in a statement. “Other examples of new and improved features are product recommendations, ratings and reviews, along with easier searching and browsing.”

Want to publish your own articles on DistilINFO Publications?

Send us an email, we will get in touch with you.

The furniture giant already has an app known as Ikea Store. That program doesn’t allow you to purchase goods, although shoppers can use the app to compile a list of desired products to expedite store visits.

On the other hand, the new Ikea Place “allows the user to place IKEA products in their living room, using augmented reality,” a spokesperson told Business Insider. Previous iterations of the chain’s augmented-reality app featured this visualization component, but didn’t allow customers to buy products.

Ikea’s decision to double down on this new app marks a bit of a departure for the furniture retailer.
Business Insider has interviewed 28 current and former Ikea employees for a series of stores about what it’s like to work at the furniture giant. The idea that Ikea is behind the curve when it comes to tech was one especially common refrain throughout those conversations. Many workers even speculated that this sluggishness traced all the way back to Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad’s skeptical attitude toward technology.

And Ikea certainly is playing catch-up, given that Amazon, Target, and Wayfair have all introduced shopping experiences featuring augmented reality.

But Ikea has been dropping signals that it’s ready to embrace big changes, like its decision to launch a series of smaller-format planning studios in major urban centers, rather than just stick with big-box stores.

“Our strategy is really around transforming to be more relevant for consumers and what they’re looking for,” Ikea US COO Leontyne Green Sykes told Business Insider during a tour of the company’s new Manhattan planning studio.

“The new app is looking to take the next step in becoming more accessible for the many people,” a spokesperson told Business Insider in a statement. “At Ingka Group, we’re looking to become more accessible to the many and meet customers when, how, and where they want to meet us.”

Date: May 30, 2019

Source: Business Insider

Coffee with DistilINFO's Morning Updates...

Sign up for DistilINFO e-Newsletters.

Just a little bit more about you...
PROCEED
Choose Lists
BACK

Related Stories

  • Sears Closes Its Doors at Ohio Valley MallSears Closes Its Doors at Ohio Valley Mall
  • EBay announces summer outlet storeEBay announces summer outlet store
  • Walmart Gains from E-Commerce Growth, Hits 52-Week HighWalmart Gains from E-Commerce Growth, Hits 52-Week High
  • FD council to consider help for Sears store ownerFD council to consider help for Sears store owner
  • There’s a new IKEA opening in Dubai this yearThere’s a new IKEA opening in Dubai this year
  • Walmart’s Workforce of the FutureWalmart’s Workforce of the Future
  • IKEA Steps Forward In Putting Sustainability At The Core Of Its BusinessIKEA Steps Forward In Putting Sustainability At The Core Of Its Business
  • New Pen Centre Walmart to open this summerNew Pen Centre Walmart to open this summer

Trending This Week

Sorry. No data so far.

About Us

DistilINFO is media company that publishes Industry news, views and Interviews. We distil the information for you – saving time and keeping you up to date on your interest areas.

More About Us

Follow Us


Useful Links

  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Feedback

All Publications

  • DistilINFO HealthPlan Advisory
  • DistilINFO HospitalIT Advisory
  • DistilINFO IT Advisory
  • DistilINFO Retail Advisory
  • DistilINFO POPHealth Advisory
  • DistilINFO Ageing Advisory
  • DistilINFO Life Sciences Advisory
  • DistilINFO GovHealth Advisory
  • DistilINFO EHS Advisory
  • DistilINFO HealthIndia Advisory

© DistilINFO Publications