IKEA OPENS FIRST STORE IN INDIA
Hyderabad residents can now add “assembling furniture” to their list of hobbies. IKEA, the Swedish furniture retailer, officially entered the Indian market in July as it opened a 400,000-square foot store in Hyderabad.
According to an article in Quartz, IKEA will offer Indian customers many of its usual products, as well as some tailored to their needs and tastes, including spice boxes, idli-makers, and pressure cookers. While IKEA bedsheets are offered in solid colors and basic hues in the West, the Hyderabad store will carry more brightly colored and patterned sheets.
Visitors to IKEA stores are also drawn to its food, including pizza, meatballs, and cinnamon buns, offered in cafeterias and snack shops. In India, the meatballs will be made from chicken and vegetables, rather than beef and pork. Customers at the IKEA in Hyderabad can also enjoy samosas, dal makhani, idlis, and biryani.
As for the furniture, it may take some time for Indian customers to warm up to the idea of assembling their tables and bookcases. Until then, assembling services will be offered at the Hyderabad store, with 150 employees hired to assist customers.
Compiled and partly written by Indian humorist MELVIN DURAI, author of the novel Bala Takes the Plunge.
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