April 17, 2020
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The furniture giant Ikea wants to reopen its furniture stores, which were temporarily closed in the corona crisis in Europe, from May.
This was also necessary because the pandemic had caused Ikea’s sales to collapse by around 60 percent, the head of the Ikea parent company Ingka Group, Jesper Brodin, said on Friday.
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Most of the furniture stores in Europe and all in North America are closed, only in Asia customers can shop in the branches. “This is a time when we have to survive above all,” said Brodin.
Sales on the Internet are a ray of hope, however, which have increased significantly and doubled compared to the previous year. In Germany, however, customers can already return to furniture stores in the most populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia from Monday.
These can open due to an exception. Furniture stores in Austria should be allowed to open in May.
The corona crisis has also had an impact on consumer purchases, which the authorities have called for, especially in their own four walls. Office furniture and kitchen equipment such as pots and pans are in demand, said Brodin.
Now he mainly wants to fill up the warehouse with products for babies, he announced. Demand could pick up in seven to eight months: “In the past, crises triggered a baby boom.”
Ikea also wants to respond to the economic consequences of the corona crisis by cutting prices for individual products. The development could be similar to that after the 2008 financial crisis – “people have less money”.
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