Swiss-based multi-channel home furnishings retailer IKEA has officially kicked off its online services in India in Mumbai. IKEA's online service will cover Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, and Thane areas of the maximum city.
The Swedish furniture giant's online foray in India comes exactly a year after it debuted with its physical store in Hyderabad.
IKEA India website has a dedicated section, offering a wide range of items, for its Mumbai shoppers. However, unlike its online peers, IKEA would not be offering free delivery to begin with. Customers would be charged a minimum of Rs 199 for delivery, with costs rising according to the weight of the product.
With the IKEA launch, the number of e-commerce companies vying for the online pie in the furniture space has gone higher in India. The segment was already competitive with the likes of Amazon, Flipkart, Pepperfry and Urban Ladder.
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The Indian furniture market is valued at about $18 billion. However, more than 90 per cent of the space is dominated by unbranded players. Players like Urban Ladder, Pepperfry and a host of offline furniture brands vie for the rest 10 per cent.
The next online stops for IKEA India would be Hyderabad and Pune. According to IKEA, the most loved product categories in India are beds and mattresses, bathroom, decoration and dining. Interestingly, Children’s IKEA tops IKEA stores in terms of volume sales. IKEA has seen a steady growth in the last year, with more than four million visitors to its Hyderabad store already.