It is finally official, IKEA is coming to the Philippines. While the story has been making the rounds for seemingly years, IKEA sustainability and communication director Lars Svensson confirmed an opening date would be unveiled in 2018 at an event in Makati earlier this year.
Things then became a little clearer in late February when the Swedish furniture-maker awarded the franchise rights to Ikano Group, a firm with finance, real estate and retail interests.
“We are very happy to confirm that Inter IKEA Systems has taken the decision to open IKEA stores in the Philippines and that the franchise right for the Philippine market has been allocated to Ikano,” Ikano spokesperson Josefin Thorell explained to ABS CBN News.
Whenever it does open, IKEA will be welcomed to the Philippines with open arms by eager shoppers looking to decorate their residences with the brand’s furniture and household accessories. The move could prove to be a boon for the local economy as well.
“If IKEA goes in the Philippines, like it has gone in other countries, there would be great opportunities for Filipinos to find work and there would be investment in putting up stores,” Swedish ambassador to the Philippines Harald Fries stated last year. “I won’t be surprised that once they have set their camp here, they’ll be looking for local manufacturing. I think that would be wonderful and interesting for the Philippines.”
IKEA in the Philippines, this is not a drill
This isn’t the first time buzz around IKEA opening has spread throughout the country. Last year, a photo of a giant building in Laguna decked out in IKEA’s famous blue and yellow paint circulated quickly online. Columnist Pepper Teehankee mused it could be the site of IKEA’s first store in the Philippines. This announcement sent social media into a bit of a tizzy.
Alas, it was not to be. The building in question was actually a warehouse for online shopping platform Lazada.
Enough talk! When will IKEA open in the Philippines?
The questions remains: when will IKEA open in the Philippines? The date of the opening will be announced in 2018. But that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to shop there this year. In fact, the new IKEA may not be open until 2020 if the firm follows its previous timelines.
IKEA opened its first Thailand store in late 2011 after announcing plans for two years earlier. The furniture seller unveiled the site for its second Thailand store in 2015. That IKEA will open in March, nearly three years later. That project will be the largest IKEA in Southeast Asia when it does welcome shoppers for the first time.
So, when will IKEA open in the Philippines? If the company announces plans for the Philippines store this year, it probably won’t open until 2020 at the earliest. Two years may seem like a long time, but at least an end to the wait is finally in sight.
