MARKET WATCH
IKEA
opens its doors to swarming crowds The Swedish furniture retailer IKEA officially opened in Qatar last month, making it the 41st country to have a branch. Despite delays, a flock of eager residents turned up for the first official peek inside IKEA.
to
commemorate the Doha Festival City store’s opening, Omar Al-Futtaim, Vice-Chairman, Al Futtaim Group, the representative of IKEA in the UAE, Qatar and Egypt, hosted a traditional log-cutting ceremony in the presence of HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Qatar. IKEA is well known for the range and innovation of its products, ranging from food to furniture and kitchen gadgets. It can decorate your home or give you the inspiration to do it yourself. The Doha store, measuring 32,000 square metres and containing about 7,500 items, also features a restaurant and Smaland Children’s Play Area. Thirty-three cash registers keep traffic flowing through the massive building. “Visiting an IKEA store is a great day out for the whole family, an experience which is lived by nearly 780 million people who visit our 340 stores every year,” said John Kersten, Managing Director, IKEA UAE, Qatar, Egypt and Oman. “The opening of this store is a major milestone in IKEA’s history in the Middle East. IKEA is set to change the furniture retail landscape in Qatar the same way it has done in each of the 40 countries it is already present in around the world.” The Swedish company also brought the IKEA catalogue to Qatar in March. The 328-page magazine contains 500 photographs for inspiration or for direct purchasing. IKEA displays interior design ideas based on everyday activities like organising, sleeping, relaxing, cooking, eating and “living simple life at home”, Kersten said. The catalogue reflects IKEA’s ideology: functional and aesthetic pieces, contributing to a stylish but affordable home decor. “The catalogue features creativity in dynamic styles and rich colours to suit everyone’s taste and needs,” Kersten added.
april 2013
Qatar Today 8 7