An IKEA Phone Booth Is Visiting The Sunshine Coast, Newcastle And Geelong
In an era where retail experiences are increasingly digitised, Large Format Retail Association’s retail member IKEA Australia is set to introduce a novel approach to reaching customers in regional centres: the IKEA phone booth.
This bright yellow, 3m² booth will make its debut outside Alex Surf Club at the Sunshine Coast’s Alexandra Heads on Tuesday 25 June, Dixon Park Beach in Newcastle on Thursday 27 June and Steampacket Gardens in Geelong on Tuesday 2 July, bridging the gap between brick-and-mortar store visits and virtual shopping expeditions.
Equipped with a tablet that connects directly to IKEA’s customer service centre, the yellow phone booth will offer customers the opportunity to experience everything remote shopping at IKEA can offer including ordering directly or booking a virtual face to face appointment to design a kitchen.
This initiative will enable IKEA customers to easily make a purchase with the help of a specialist guiding them through the whole process over the phone, live chat or via Facebook Messenger. Customers can also book virtual planning appointments, for 1-on-1 expert advice to design their dream space and plan more complex home furnishing projects like kitchens, wardrobes and living room storage.
Gary Cocks, Selling Manager for IKEA Australia Remote Customer Meeting Point says “We know customers love the unique experience of coming to a physical IKEA store, but we also know that especially for our customers living in a regional city or town around Australia, it’s often not practical to visit us in person. By introducing remote shopping, we want to create the experience of having the home furnishing expertise IKEA is known and loved for on-hand for our customers regardless of where they are in Australia. Many of our customers are unaware of our remote shopping offer, so the phone booth is a great way to raise awareness of the many ways to shop with IKEA.
Remote shopping plays an important part in the future of shopping at IKEA and globally, we have a long-term ambition that 10% of all sales will come from remote shopping. It is a real game changer for IKEA Australia, making it easy and convenient for the many people to buy from IKEA, whenever, wherever and however they like. The Sunshine Coast, Newcastle and Geelong are all areas that are accessible for customers via remote shopping and are a great opportunity for growth.”
The introduction of the phone booth underscores IKEA’s commitment to enhancing customer accessibility, using IKEA stores, online channels and remote shopping options to create a seamless omnichannel customer experience.
The rollout of the phone booth at these three regional locations represents a broader shift in how Large Format Retailers like IKEA are adapting to meet the evolving needs of their customer base.
The IKEA phone booth will be available at Alex Surf Club in Alexandra Heads, Sunshine Coast (Qld) on 25 June 8am-4pm, Dixon Park Beach in Newcastle (NSW) on 27 June 8am-4pm and Steampacket Gardens in Geelong (Vic) on 2 July 8am-4pm.
Find out more about remote shopping with IKEA: ikea.com.au/remoteshopping
