IKEA redesigns bedroom range as India reshapes its global playbook

MUMBAI: It turns out an Indian bedroom doesn’t just sleep, it studies, works, dines and occasionally becomes an office too. That simple insight is prompting IKEA to rethink its product strategy in India, with the Swedish furniture giant redesigning bedroom furniture and storage solutions to better match how Indian households actually live.

According to a CNBC-TV18 report, IKEA India CEO Patrik Antoni said the company discovered that bedrooms in India serve far more purposes than they do in its home market of Sweden, where they are largely used for sleeping and storage.

That finding has led IKEA to localise its product assortment, particularly in bedroom furniture, as it tailors designs to accommodate activities such as studying, reading, grooming, eating and working from the same space. 

Rather than offering its entire global catalogue, IKEA is curating its India portfolio based on local consumer behaviour. The retailer currently sells around 7,000 products in India, drawn from its global range of nearly 15,000 items. The localisation push comes as IKEA steps up its expansion plans in one of its fastest-growing markets. Since entering India in 2018, the company has opened seven stores and now plans to add around 25 more outlets by 2030, combining neighbourhood stores with larger destination formats and mixed-use developments in Noida and Gurugram.

Digital commerce is also becoming an increasingly important growth engine. Online sales now contribute around 30 per cent of IKEA India’s revenue, with the retailer serving customers across nearly 30 markets, including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Jaipur and Lucknow. The company crossed Rs 1,800 crore in revenue during FY25 and is targeting approximately Rs 8,000 crore over the next five years, supported by store expansion and continued growth in e-commerce.

India is also becoming more central to IKEA’s global supply chain. Around 30 per cent of products sold domestically are sourced locally, while exports from Indian suppliers currently total about €400 million annually. The retailer aims to double that figure by 2030, supported by increased local sourcing and product development through its recently established design centre in India.

To support its next phase of growth, IKEA also plans to double its workforce over the next four to five years, creating thousands of jobs, including several hundred leadership roles.

The strategy reflects a broader shift in global retail, where localisation is increasingly becoming a competitive advantage. For IKEA, succeeding in India is proving to be less about asking consumers to adapt to Scandinavian living and more about designing Scandinavian products around Indian lifestyles.