Ikea on wheels concept in Mumbai has preceded its second store opening late summer this year at Navi Mumbai and utilities Tata trucks.
Story by : Deven Lad and Deepti Thore
The Sofa looks quite comfy and cosy. It has a typical Scandinavian flair to it. The wall unit behind it too extends a typical minimalist yet very wooden feel about it. The wall clock above too follows the minimalist approach that is unmistakably Swedish in nature. There are various bits that could make a living room look cosy and well decorated, and have a very Scandinanvian feel to it. Set up on an intermediate-class of truck — a Tata LPT 909 EX to be precise, the living room is a reflection of Ikea’s concept called ‘Ikea on Wheels’. Operating in over 433 stores in 52 countries, Ikea, which set up its first store in India at the fag end of 2018 in Hyderabad, has taken to three trucks in Mumbai to create the necessary buzz for its second store. Scheduled to open late summer this year, the second store will highlight all the ethos that a typical Ikea store does in any part of the world. The three ‘Ikea on Wheels’ precede this endeavour. They are also supporting the company’s e-commerce initiative that is claimed to be working mostly out of its Hyderabad store.
Including a bigger Tata LPT 1109 EX truck that has a kitchen built on it, the three ‘Ikea on Wheels’ trucks come painted in an Ikea shade of blue. Reflecting the thoughts and ambitions of its founder, Feodor Ingvar Kamprad in 1943, the three ‘Ikea on Wheels’ trucks have a large glass facade each. It makes for an easier glimpse of what the Ikea exhibit is all about. It makes for a good glimpse of a range of well-priced and made furniture and other utilities that Ikea has come to be known for the world over. From a simple yet highly elegant night lamp to a fairly sophisticated looking knife sharpening tool on the kitchen truck, the three ‘Ikea on Wheels’ truck doing the rounds of various parts of Mumbai and Navi Mumbai aptly drawing attention to Ikea’s rich history that could be traced back to the mail-order sales business in 1943, and its progression to a furniture selling business five years later.
Opening its first store at Älmhult, Småland (Sweden) in 1958 under the name Möbel-IKÉA, the three ‘Ikea on Wheels’ trucks have come to depict the task trucks the world over have played in moving cargo, and in helping organisations like Ikea to take its business to other parts of the world; to amalgamate its ability to turn out among the most desired furniture and other utilities with an ability to adapt to diverse cultures the world over. Sourcing for many decades from India, Ikea, the three trucks depict, has done a good job of taking the Scandanavian furniture design and qualities to other parts of the world, fusing the culture and diversity of other parts of the world with it. Turning out to be an effective furniture and household goods platform the world over, the three ‘Ikea on Wheels’ trucks also add to the differential marketing experience many global corporates have taken to.
Stationing two trucks (the living room truck and the kitchen truck) at the bustling Kamala Mill Compound at Lower Parel, Ikea put the third truck to promote its good in South and West Mumbai. Under the theme, ‘Sustainable living (with Kitchens)’ and ‘Living with children’ (Living room), the two Ikea trucks provided visitors an opportunity to touch and feel; to experience the brand’s home furnishing solutions, and to first-hand experience what the name stands for. Expressed a visitor that he would look forward to the Turbhe store opening to go and shop there. Terming the Ikea products on display across both the trucks as innovative and cost effective, the visitor pointed at how the two trucks have to come to offer the people of Mumbai a glimpse of how they could imagine their homes would look like with Ikea offerings.
With personalised assistance on offer from Ikea’s Life at Home experts present, the two Ikea trucks empowered their visitors to look beyond furniture and at the entire decor. It is not without a reason that an Ikea official is known to say that the two trucks are helping the people of Mumbai to touch, feel and experience our home furnishing solutions. Drawing upon the first truck, themed ‘Create Space’, which was built by Ikea to showcase its affordable and multi-functional home furnishing product solutions in August 2019, the two trucks also reflected on the fact that Mumbai is already looking to be a significant market for Ikea as it spreads its presence in various parts
of the vast country that
India is.
