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The world's largest furniture retailer is coming to town.
IKEA is scheduled to open its first store in Korea later this year..., and to give locals
a taste of what to expect..., the Swedish furniture giant has opened up a showroom.
Our Yoo Li-an reports. Famous for its blue-and-yellow, super-sized
stores and build-it-yourself products,... IKEA will open its first store in Seoul by
the end of this year. Korean consumers got an early glimpse at the
Swedish-based company's simple and low-priced line of furniture at a special showroom that
opened this week.
"I'm very excited because we get to see many different designs and can purchase them at
cheaper prices."
The marketing manager for IKEA Korea says the company has worked hard to tailor to the
needs and preferences of the local population.
"It's very much important to understand the markets. We have done a lot of research to
understand life at home, what are the dreams and needs of the many people and of course
we will provide solutions that fits the many dreams."
IKEA Korea is scheduled to open up its first branch in Gwangmyeong-si in the southwest
of Seoul by the end of this year, and purchased land in Goyang-si northwest of Seoul last
year,.. where it plans to open up its second. The imminent arrival of the global furniture
giant has certainly caught the attention of local furniture companies,... prompting them
to overhaul business strategies. Hanssem, Korea's biggest furniture company,
says it will boost its premium brand image to compete directly against IKEA's low-priced
furniture.
"We are unveiling a line-up of premium furniture. We changed the furniture on display to more
high-quality items and we are also providing top-notch customer service,... so we feel
we have a good shot at winning over customers..."
The nation's top furniture brands also plan to boost the number of items sold through
offline channels and in online malls to extend their reach to customers.
Yoo Li-an, Arirang News.