IKEA branches out to Limassol

IKEA is reaching out to Limassol fans and beyond, with a new Planning Studio location now open in the southern town.

A Planning Studio operated by IKEA is now open in Limassol’s Kato Polemidia borough, offering local customers a place where they can access products and services and place orders with help from staff.

According to IKEA’s website, the Planning Studio is operating regular company hours. Customers can visit the location to get inspired by furniture displays and design solutions for various rooms, where they can try out and test a number of products.

The Planning Studio, which is a small fraction of the area space in Nicosia’s IKEA, does not have a restaurant but trained staff is on standby to assist customers with their decisions and purchases, which they can either pick up at the store or have delivered at home. Similar choices are available for customers who wish to select a service for delivery, installation, consultation, and more.

According to InBusinessNews, IKEA is seeking alternative ways to reach customers who live far away from the Nicosia complex.

Knews also reported previously on competition between Scandinavian giants, Swedish IKEA and Danish contender JYSK that sells similar products and was revealed as a big surprise for Nicosia Mall earlier this year.

But foreign experts also point out at the bigger picture, as IKEA is facing greater competition from online retailers around the globe.

According to retail expert Andria Cheng, the Planning Studio concept could serve as a way to attract more urban-area consumers in key locations while also helping IKEA increase its online sales.

The Planning Studio in Limassol is adjacent to JUMBO, on the site of former Orphanides retail chain that went bankrupt. The revived space, the Cypriot answer to strip malls, aims to recapture business with big names such as AlfaMega, Intersport and Starbucks.

[Kathimerini Cyprus]