CHENNAI: Eight years after its India debut, Swedish home furnishings giant IKEA on Monday marked its formal entry into Tamil Nadu by launching home deliveries in Chennai and setting the stage for a deeper physical presence as part of its mixed-format strategy in India.
Interestingly, the company is not merely looking at the urban customers in Chennai, but also those in Madurai, Coimbatore and Salem. Its digital operations will sell more than 6,400 home furnishing products and solutions, including furniture, storage, mattresses, and home accessories, to people in these tier-II cities. The products will be delivered within three to seven days, and will have 5 to 25-year warranties and a 365-day return policy.
IKEA’s Chennai entry comes at a time when it is seeing strong traction or nearly 30 per cent from digital channels. “This launch is the beginning of our long-term, omni-channel journey in Chennai, and insights from e-commerce and planning services will shape our future stores and offerings here. Our goal is to meet customers wherever and however they choose, online today, and through physical formats as we grow,” said IKEA India CEO Patrik Antoni while announcing the rollout.
While it is making a foray into Tamil Nadu only now, IKEA has been sourcing mattresses manufactured in the State for both the Indian and Middle-East markets. Overall, around 30 per cent of the company’s global volumes are sourced from India, provided by 44 suppliers across textiles, plastic and metal products, flat-pack furniture, sofas and mattresses.
Bhavana Jaiswal, country e-commerce integration manager, IKEA India, said customers from Tamil Nadu, especially Chennai, have been searching its products online, talking about it on social media, and even travelling long distances to shop in person.
That consistent interest has shaped how we grow. The start of doorstep deliveries in Tamil Nadu is a natural next step in that journey,Bhavana Jaiswal
“That consistent interest has shaped how we grow. The start of doorstep deliveries in Tamil Nadu is a natural next step in that journey,” she added.
Reiterating IKEA’s large-volume, low-price strategy, Antoni said the company positions itself not merely as a furniture seller but as a solutions company, focused on solving everyday challenges at home. “That’s why Chennai feels like a natural fit for IKEA’s next chapter in India,” he said.