The rumors of a Swedish-based IKEA store opening a Philippine store have been circulating since the year 2017. From announcements in the coming years to new updates, we have learned more about the long-awaited launch of IKEA Philippines.
So to answer the question — Is IKEA available in the Philippines? Yes, it is available. The first batch of Ikea Philippines products finally arrived ahead of the long-awaited store opening in Pasay City. Ikea Philippines opened a rural outpost for the first time in 2018.
This has also been called the largest store of the Swedish furniture brand in the world. If you are interested in knowing Ikeas, here’s everything we know so far.
History
Founded in the year 1943 by a 17-year-old Ingvar Kamprad in Sweden, IKEA has actually been the world’s biggest furniture retailer since the year 2008. The brand used by the group is actually an acronym formed by the owner’s initials and those of Elmtaryd. The family farm where he was actually born and the nearby town of Agunnaryd, his hometown in the southern part of Sweden.
The group is recognized for its modernist designs for different types of furniture and appliances. And its interior design work is frequently associated with an eco-friendly monotony. Additionally, the firm is well-known for its attention to operational details, cost control, and continued product development. It has enabled IKEA to reduce its prices by an average of 2-3%.
Signing Up for IKEA Philippines’ Official Membership Program
The first IKEA store in the Philippines, as well as its local e-commerce store, are scheduled to open in this year 2021, 4th quarter; There is no official opening date yet, but there is also a lot to look forward to! For starters, the Swedish furniture brand launched its official membership program called IKEA Family on July 7, 2021!
Free Membership!
IKEA Family has over 150 million members around the world, and signing up is completely free! In addition, members get access to exclusive promos, rewards, store updates, invitations, and discounts all year round. Also, signing up once already gives you a lifetime membership. In a virtual press con, IKEA Philippines’ market development manager Georg Platzer noted that joining the IKEA Family can give you a chance to score discounts up to 50% off!
IKEA Family in the Philippines accepted 100,000 new members within the first 24 hours of launching
IKEA is definitely looking to bring 100,000 Filipinos on board to IKEA Family in just its 1st day of launching. Platzer, who has worked with IKEA for over 3 decades, notes that no other IKEA store in the world has reached this goal. Plus, people who register in the first 24 hours will have a chance to win one out of three IKEA Home Makeover packages worth 50,000 PHP with design consultations courtesy of IKEA’s interior designers.
What Does IKEA Sell?
Homeware and Furniture
Rather than sold pre-assembled, much of the store’s furniture is designed to assemble the client and customer. They claimed that this helps reduce costs and usage of packaging by not shipping air.
For example, the volume of a shelf is significantly less if it is not assembled but is shipped unassembled. In addition, this is more practical for European customers using public transport, as flat packages can be transported more easily.
IKEA Philippines Available One (Online Shopping)
Before the store opened, IKEA announced that they would soon be putting all the things we love online. “The company will bring Swedish furniture and dumplings to millions more next year when it enters both Mexico and the Philippines, with web stores opening months earlier than physical stores in both countries.”
IKEA Philippines website has actually launched online shopping. The website opened in 2018, and many speculate that it would serve as a countdown to pre-opening activities or an online catalog for the store opening. While both are great, it’s even better to finally buy IKEA online with no tariffs or heavy delivery. No dates have been released so far, but IKEA Philippines has announced in the past that they will offer e-commerce delivery in the Metro Manila area.
The Store Offer Everything You Love About IKEA
The long-awaited store will have a full-service restaurant serving the famous meatballs. Yes. The iconic, glorious meatballs. In addition, the store will be solely family-friendly and will have a playground with an indoor play area. So while in the adult’s store, kids can also have fun too.
The Location
It is located near MOA or the SM Mall of Asia. The opening has yet to occur, but the location should be right in front of the SMX Manila, next to the MOA Arena. This makes sense since IKEA Philippines is made possible by a partnership between Ikano Pte, Ltd, the owner and operator of IKEA in Southeast Asia, and the SM Group of Companies.
The Largest IKEA Store Around The World
The planned area of the Mall of Asia complex will be 65,000 sq meters. That’s as big as 150 basketball courts. The two-story retail area will be the same size as other IKEA stores, but the overall length is due to additional facilities such as the store’s warehouse, integrated call center, and e-commerce facilities. In addition, the store will have approximately 9,000 items in stock. They all carry the IKEA brand philosophy of functionality, sustainability and, creativity. The choice in this business will be huge.
IKEA Philippines Will Open By 2021
In the year 2019, Swedish ambassador Harald Fries said that IKEA was planning to open its 1st Philippine store by 2020. However, he declined to disclose any further information. According to sources, the target date was early 2020. But, the opening has been delayed with the Swedish homewares and furniture chain citing “construction adjustments” as the reason.
Takeaways
The Swedish-based furniture retailer called IKEA is available in the Philippines. The first branch of the company in the Philippines is in Pasay City. The company has been highly patronized by many due to its sophisticated and modern designs of furniture.