Shopping at Ikea set to change as furniture brand switches up stores with new experience

Ikea's well-trodden store routes could become a thing of the past

Ikea stores in China are set to trial a new interactive way of shopping

No matter where you are in the world, shopping in Ikea is always a consistent experience.

The Swedish furniture company has always laid its stores out in much the same way, guiding shoppers through stylised and mocked-up rooms in homes, before leading them into the market hall where they can actually pick up the items, and eventually, check out.

But the set route customers have always been required to follow through stores could soon be a thing of the past, as the brand announces plans to introduce what it calls a more immersive shopping experience.

Customers can expect to become “part of the furniture”, industry media reports, by lounging around in the spaces and becoming the focus of attention with Ikea’s new concept that it says is aimed at encouraging sustainability.

The new interactive experience will include activities such as light therapy, where customers will be encouraged to “interact, connect, recharge” as well as take selfies for their social media. There will also be “creative rooms” where customers will be taught how to make and repair household items, according to reports.

The new “home experience of tomorrow” experience is set to be first be trialled in Shanghai, China. It had previously been trialled in the Polish city of Szczecin, where it was pitched to shoppers as an opportunity to learn about sustainable living.

“See how to make your home live with full respect for nature. You will learn about the new role of houseplants. You will find new, efficient ways to process waste. You will regenerate yourself with light and try the zero-waste cuisine,” the Szczecin promotional material read.

The initiative is expected to be rolled out across Europe after the trial in China.

Chief executive and president of Ikea China, Anna Pawlak-Kuliga, told German retail magazine Lebensmittel Zeitung: “People have high expectations of their homes and a considerable need to belong to a social community.”

She hoped the new concept will help customers “continue to be inspired to lead a meaningful life at home, as well as outside their own homes.”