Marcus Engman, head of design for Ikea, is confident about the global giant’s entry into India. He speaks about it on the sidelines of the Ikea Democratic Design Days 2018 in Ikea’s headquarters Almhult, Sweden.
Stating that Ikea has been researching the Indian market for four years, he says they have been studying homes in Hyderabad, Mumbai and Bengaluru to understand living patterns. “Ikea will change buying patterns and the retail sector in India for sure, but there has also been a lot of learning for us. India is also changing Ikea,” said Mr. Engman.
India-specific tweaks
The popular Swedish brand’s first Indian store will open in Hyderabad in the first half of July. It will be spread over 400,000 sq. ft. equalling the store in Almhult, where the brand began. This will be the largest Ikea store in Asia and will have a 1000-seater cafeteria, their largest in the world so far. The second store will come up in Mumbai in 2019 followed by Bengaluru and Delhi-NCR. Chennai, Pune and Kolkata are on the anvil.
Among the 7,500 to 8,000 products that the Hyderabad store will stock, some have gone through India-specific design tweaks. “We need to be relevant to the market. Cooking and cleaning patterns in India are different from the West. Some cities have humid weather conditions and a lot more water goes into cleaning; the ends and edges of our cleaning tools, sofas and beds have gone in for a change,” said Mr. Engman.
Modern comforts: Inside the Ikea store in Almhult . The Hyderabad store, modelled on the Almhult store, will have 4,00,000 sq. ft. space .
Global touch
The tweaks will also reflect in the design ethos. Around 90% of the products will have a global vibe, including Scandinavian minimalism, while 10% will factor in the Indian love for vibrancy. Mr. Engman observes, “There are no boundaries in colours and patterns that are mixed and matched in Indian homes. Handicrafts are also a part of India’s heritage. We will have more locally sourced products.”
In Sweden, the host country for the two-day design summit, do-it-yourself is a way of life. However, the global flat-pack giant is aware that not everyone in India is in tune with D-I-Y furniture. So Ikea will have an in-house assembling team in addition to a tie-up with UrbanClap to help those who need assistance.
Key members of the Ikea Almhult team have got more than just a taste of Indian living patterns. Mia Olsson Tuner, the country communication and design manager, Ikea India, now lives in Bengaluru with her “husband, children and two cats!” She loves the intensity and the heat in India, though not the traffic.
Inside the Ikea store at Almhult, Sweden. The Hyderabad store is modelled on the Almhult store and will be 400,000 sqft.
1,000 home visits
Ms. Olsson Tuner and Mia Lundstrom, creative director Life at Home at Ikea India, along with Ikea India members, have visited more than 1,000 homes in Hyderabad, Mumbai and Bengaluru, choosing homes across socio-economic categories, from spacious luxury villas in Hyderabad to one-room houses in Mumbai.
“If that one or two-room house is where a family has to have play area for children, a study section, cook, sleep and entertain, it calls for smart design solutions,” they emphasise. This is where foldable furniture and storage solutions come into play.
Design hacks
Ms. Lundstorm has spent hours in each home she visited to observe people closely. “Certain things about everyday life remains common worldwide. Everyone wants to sleep well, have a comfortable home for themselves and their children. The challenge lies in adapting design to country-specific conditions. We wouldn’t push silk curtains and velvet sofas in India,” she notes.
Ikea has been encouraging Hyderabadis to visit its Hej Home Hyderabad experience centre at Forum mall, leading up to the big launch.
(The writer was in Almhult, Sweden, on invitation for Ikea Democratic Design Days 2018)
