Swedish home furnishings giant IKEA, has announced the opening of its first store in Oman in June 2022. Spanning 25,000sqm, the two-level flagship is set to launch in Lulu Group’s Oman Avenues Mall. Bringing customers affordability and a comfortable shopping experience, the new IKEA will be located in the centre of the city making it more accessible for the many people. It will feature inspirational room setups and creative solutions for visitors with over 9000 articles across living room, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, and other home furnishing accessories. Leveraging digital innovation, Oman’s first IKEA store will also be available virtually, making it easier for shoppers to browse and buy the latest products.

The new IKEA store will be home to some of the most innovative customer experience solutions, including wall projectors to facilitate planning and product selection. Throughout the main showroom, digital signage and in-store technology will help customers find the right furnishings, visualise room setups and schedule deliveries in simple, easy steps. Oman’s first IKEA will also comprise a 394-seat restaurant, directly connected to the shopping centre for easy access and convenience.

As one of the world’s largest food providers, IKEA is taking the next step towards making healthy and sustainable food more affordable and accessible to the many people. The retailer hopes to inspire better food choices at its Oman store, with a food and beverage range that includes IKEA’s popular plant-based meatballs, ASC-certified salmon, and UTZ-certified coffee. Featuring self-service kiosks, the IKEA restaurant extends into the mall for more seating options for customers. Customers can shop from the Swedish Food Market for their favourite Scandinavian ingredients and enjoy fresh pastries, cookies and more at the IKEA Bistro.

Vinod Jayan, managing director – IKEA UAE, Egypt, Qatar and Oman, said: “Al-Futtaim IKEA’s first store in the Sultanate of Oman reflects our commitment to making sustainable living affordable and accessible, while creating a better everyday life for the many people. As part of the Al-Futtaim Group, we live by the same ethos of enriching the lives and aspirations of our customers at every turn and we aim to do this for our customers across Oman. We are now closer to our Omani customers and are confident that the experience and home furnishing ideas we provide at IKEA will inspire our customers to refresh their homes.’’

Designed to have a positive impact on the environment and promote sustainable living, IKEA’s first Oman store will contribute to the sultanate’s Green Agenda with innovative solutions that help reduce waste, save energy, and conserve natural resources. It will also comprise electronically commutated motors that run alternating current power supply to provide 30% more efficiency than conventional air conditioning, with condensation to be used for the mall’s landscaping. Moreover, the store will be powered by LED bulbs created to reduce consumption by 70%-80%.

Furthermore, all IKEA products are crafted with sustainability in mind, inspiring and enabling more than 70 million people in the region to live a better everyday life by 2025. The Swedish home furnishings retailer pledges to design every product from the very beginning to be reused, refurbished, remanufactured, and eventually recycled by applying its circular product design principles during the product development process. IKEA also recycles 90% of its dry operational waste annually on a global level.

The new IKEA store in Oman will also provide its customers with the Click and Collect service to enjoy a convenient and contactless shopping experience. The “Click & Collect” works in three simple steps. First, customers need to choose their preferred time and place for delivery. Secondly, they receive an email and an SMS once the order is ready and finally, they can have the order picked up from the store on the same or next day, without getting out of the car. Customers can access the “Click & Collect” service through the IKEA website and mobile app. This service is available for all online paid orders.

Additionally, the new IKEA store will also offer a wide range of services such as assembly and delivery, measurement facilities, kitchen services at affordable prices in addition to gift cards and easy finance options.