Ikea India has decided to discontinue operations of its store located in R-City Mall in Mumbai by mid this year. With this move, the Swedish retail major will be consolidating its Mumbai operations to Ikea Worli and Ikea Navi Mumbai besides its e-commerce operations.
This store was opened in 2022 as part of the company’s strategy to test smaller format concepts in India. It is learned that the retailer was not able to offer the full brand experience due to layout and design-related limitations.
Employees working at the R-City store will not be impacted and will be given opportunities to work at other stores operated by the retailer..
”This strategic decision is at the back of the learnings we have had in terms of customer experience and aligned to our vision of creating a leaner and faster retail business in the country. It further allows us to consolidate our Mumbai operations to Ikea Worli, Ikea Navi Mumbai and online presence, while exploring newer opportunities for future growth,” Ikea India said in a statement.
“The focus on growing Mumbai remains robust as we explore newer omni-channel formats for the city, further develop the existing IKEA Navi Mumbai site into a retail destination, expand our physical presence in Pune, and become even accessible through our online presence across Maharashtra. India is a long-term priority for IKEA, and we will continue to invest in more growth avenues and job opportunities,” the company added.
“Taking care of our dedicated co-workers is our highest priority. We are committed to supporting them with equal growth opportunities and a seamless transition and have them continue to be a part of the IKEA family,” Ikea India added.
At the start of the month, the Swedish furniture retailer expanded its doorstep deliveries to 62 new districts in four states. This includes 14 districts in Maharashtra besides Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
It also plans to start e-commerce operations in Delhi within one year ahead of the store launch in the region. Ingka Centres, Ikea’s parent Ingka Group’s shopping centre division, will open Lykli Gurugram meeting center in late 2025, while another meeting place is being developed in Noida.