Ikea Singapore starts selling online

After about two years in the making, Ikea Singapore’s online store launches today.

Customers will no longer need to visit the Swedish furniture giant’s Tampines megastore or Alexandra Road outlet, but can buy at Ikea.sg and have the items delivered to their homes. As with the physical outlets, the online store has an inventory of about 7000 products.

Online customers can pay via credit card or Nets. There is no minimum spend.

Delivery charges range from $15 to $70 for bulky items. The delivery-service team members have been trained to also assemble the furniture, for an extra fee.

Ikea Southeast Asia retail director Mike King says there have long been calls for an online store in Singapore, but the brand wanted to iron out all the kinks before launching one.

Previously, Ikea Singapore’s website was a virtual extension of its print catalogue, showing mood shots of various rooms and offering product details.

Mike King, Ikea Southeast Asia’s retail director, says there have long been calls for an online store in Singapore, but the brand wanted to iron out all the kinks before launching one.

Previously, Ikea Singapore’s website was a virtual extension of its print catalogue, showing mood shots of different rooms and information about Ikea’s products. With online shopping now available, King expects greater demand for Ikea’s products but is confident there will not be a problem fulfilling orders.

He says that during the past 12 months, Ikea has been affected by a global container problem (caused by South Korean company Hanjin Shipping going bankrupt) and port delays in Shanghai. “Those issues cause more problems rather than the added demand generated by e-commerce.”

King says there are improvements ahead for the online store, which may include an option for customers to collect their online purchases from the two physical stores.

An online Ikea store is also planned for Malaysia.