This week, the Swedish residence furnishings retailer launched a brand new app for the U.S. market. The app permits prospects entry to their digital Ikea Household card to pay for purchases and request both residence supply or curbside pickup, whereas additionally offering product suggestions for inspiration.
“At Ikea, we’re on a journey to remodel the way in which we meet our prospects, and the Ikea app is a vital step we’ve taken to develop into extra accessible and handy to the numerous,” mentioned Umesh Sripad, Ikea U.S. chief digital officer, in an announcement.
Sripad advised Adweek that Ikea’s newest cellular providing has full end-to-end procuring functionality, a shift from its earlier method to cellular procuring. The brand new app really combines the options of separate apps Ikea beforehand supplied: one for retailer areas, one for making funds, and one to seek for merchandise.
“We determined we don’t must be fragmented and we are able to put all these options into one app,” Sripad mentioned.
The brand new app additionally contains never-before-offered options, similar to the flexibility to return merchandise and to regulate one’s personal information.
Giving customers management of their info fulfills a promise Ikea made practically a yr in the past, letting prospects resolve whether or not the retailer can use info similar to their shopping historical past and former purchases. “We’re giving the facility again to the shoppers,” he mentioned.
Transitioning to click-and-brick
Whereas the app was in improvement previous to the pandemic, its rollout within the U.S. was accelerated on account of Covid-19, in accordance with Sripad. It initially launched in July 2019 in Sweden, France, the Netherlands, the UK, Eire, Spain, Canada and Japan, and up to now has been downloaded by 4.9 million customers.
“Click on-and-brick has develop into an increasing number of regular as customers change between the bodily and cellular environments,” he identified.
The brand new app just isn’t solely an answer for at-home consumers, permitting customers to resolve purchases whereas bodily current within the room they want to furnish, however a companion gadget for the shop as properly, Sripad mentioned. The brick-and-mortar expertise is present process its personal adjustments as Ikea evolves its retailer atmosphere to be extra suitable with the brand new app, however these nonetheless within the works.
An rising pattern in 2021 for retailers, after accelerating their digital choices final yr on account of Covid-19, will doubtless be to revamp their bodily areas to enrich the net or cellular expertise, a change that’s already underway at Walmart.
Initially, Ikea plans to market the app to in-store prospects and guests to its cellular web site. The app was designed and developed in collaboration with Work & Co, Ikea’s digital product associate, and is offered within the app shops for each iPhone iOS and Android.
The app is simply the newest vital funding Ikea U.S. has made to remodel its enterprise. It’s constructing smaller-format shops in metropolis facilities, which at the moment are open in Manhattan and Queens in New York Metropolis, in addition to decrease priced delivery and supply choices, and click-and-collect and TaskRabbit meeting providers.
