Daily News
From Home Furnishing Business
Ikea to Open 2 Planning Studios in LA
October 31,
2021 by Laurie Northington in Business Strategy, Industry 
Ikea U.S. has announced its plans for two new planning studios in the Los Angeles area that are set to open in spring 2022, one in Long Beach and a second in another central location that will be finalized soon.
The new Los Angeles touchpoints will focus on providing inspiration and smart home solutions for city living as Ikea continues to transform to better meet the needs of California customers.
In the two centrally located planning studios, customers will be able to book appointments and get support from design specialists with planning and ordering home furnishing solutions that require a bit more help – such as kitchens, bedrooms, and bathrooms. While customers are unable to take home any products on their shopping day, the IKEA team will make sure that everything a customer orders is transported to their home or to another convenient point of delivery. The concept for these studios is based on extensive market research to understand consumers, what logistical barriers they face, how they like to shop, how they live at home, and more.
"IKEA is transforming to better meet the needs of our customers, and we are excited to strengthen our presence in Los Angeles and be where people are – whenever and however they want to meet Ikea," said Javier Quiñones, CEO and chief sustainability officer. "We've seen that customers are still eager for in-person experiences. That's why we're investing heavily in brick and mortar locations, and newer, more accessible store formats like the two L.A. planning studios – in addition to e-commerce."
Ikea has been in the L.A. market since the opening of Ikea Burbank in 1990, followed by stores in Carson, Costa Mesaa and Covina in 1992. Ikea Long Beach will be located in the Long Beach Towne Center at 7611 Carson Blvd, in 8,000 sq. feet of leased space. The second location is being finalized and will be announced soon. The two new locations will be the first Ikea planning studios on the West Coast.
"Understanding that many L.A.-area residents are often frustrated by being stuck in traffic, we identified geographic areas in the market that are beyond a 30-minute drive from existing stores and where affinity to Ikea is extremely high," said Janet McGowan, area vice president. "By opening the two planning studios in the L.A. market, we are taking the first steps to create customer meeting points that are more accessible and convenient to the many people of the L.A. market while continuing to offer smart and affordable home solutions."
In addition to opening new store formats in city centers, most recently in Queens, New York, Ikea has made significant investments to enhance its e-commerce experience and service offerings, including new lower priced shipping & delivery, Click & Collect, and TaskRabbit assembly services.