MANAMA: With the formal opening of IKEA Bahrain is around the corner, over 1000 invited guests have already enjoyed the unique shopping experience in the world-class and brand-new IKEA showroom.
Hundreds of employees clad in IKEA uniform welcomed each guest with resounding applause as they ascend to the shopping floor through escalator giving a feeling being a special visitor, a rare gesture in Bahrain’s retail sector history.
Among the guests were members of IKEA employees’ family members, contracting company, and media.
“Our employees each invited four family members to attend the event before the store officially opens,” Fatima Gustafson IKEA Bahrain Store Manager, said.
The IKEA Bahrain team also invited selected guests who were supportive in bringing the IKEA project to life. “This included people from IKEA employees’ family members, contracting company, government officials, and media members,” she added.
To date, all IKEA employees have undergone rigorous training to ensure they perform well.
“The IKEA Family Day is an opportunity to conduct an operational test wherein we invite people to shop and help us prepare to operate the store in the best way. This will identify if we have gaps in the process,” explained Ms. Gustafson.
Family Day will be the first time all departments will run their full range of operations in a live, controlled environment. “It is important for us to run smooth operations to take care of our customers and give them a good shopping experience,” she said.
“From a safety perspective, it will allow us to take care of the store environment so both customers and IKEA store co-workers can be in a safe environment,” she said.
Based on the team’s observations, insights, and family interactions, adjustments may be made to the processes.
“Guests will be able to make themselves feel at home and truly experience the shopping journey at IKEA, with all room settings built entirely from IKEA products,” she said.
Adding to the customer’s experience, every area in the showroom there is a sales desk where specialists can answer questions or offer home furnishing advice. Customers will find that everything in the store has price tags that also contain important information about size, colour, craftsmanship, measurements, features, and care. Tags on large items will also tell customers where to pick them up in the self-serve furniture area.
The IKEA Bahrain store will also include a market hall, where customers can find everything from rugs to linens, picture frames to clocks, kitchen accessories to home lighting and even unique gifts. Customers can take a break and relax at the IKEA restaurant where they can enjoy breakfast and beverages both Swedish and local dishes.
On their way to the checkout counters, visitors will pass through the self-serve section where they can pick up the flat-packages of items displayed in the room settings. The packages are easy to transport for customers and help keep prices low through customer involvement.
Ghassan Ahmed Al Sulaiman Furniture Trading Co. Ltd. (IKEA) was started in 1983 with a wide range of home furniture products offering innovative designs, outstanding quality, and practical furnishing options. Over the past three decades, it has created a unique space in the hearts and homes of people of Saudi Arabia through stores in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dhahran, as well as their Order and Collection points in Qassim, Al Kharj, & Al Hofuf and through its recently introduced e-commerce platform. In-line with being accessible to customers across the Kingdom, IKEA Saudi Arabia also provides customers with easy and enjoyable shopping experiences whether online, in-store or through order and collection points.