Ikea is preparing for an omnichannel future that will blend digital and physical customer interactions.
In a recent interview with LinkedIn, Jesper Brodin, CEO of Swedish home furnishings giant Ikea, discussed his company’s strategy for brick-and-mortar and digital retailing, as well as topics such as workforce automation and environmental sustainability. Following are highlights of Brodin’s commentary in these areas.
Brick-and-mortar retail
“Here’s the thing, data is worth a lot. But a physical visit is amazing. It has incredible value. We don’t subscribe to the idea that tomorrow there will not be physical meetings. But on the contrary, you have to make them better, and you need to invest in the human interaction, not for transactional aspects, but, for example, home furnishing competence. People love to come to places like this because most of us, before we sign up for a new kitchen, we want to look somebody in the eyes and say ‘Is this going to be good?’”