Furniture

This week, Ikea has opened its first city centre store in Paris. The Swedish chain has been experimenting with smaller store concepts for a while now, in order to respond to the growing competition from e-commerce - albeit with mixed results...

French decoration chain Maisons du Monde has opened its own hotel in Nantes, where each room will showcase a different style from the chain's product offer.

Ikea is continuing its plans to rent out furniture. Customers can buy them through a leasing model and simply return them after use. In 2020, the Swedish chain will be trying out the new model in 30 countries, including Belgium and the Netherlands.

Zara Home will become just another part of Zara, like the children's or men's clothing. The new, larger Zara stores will also get a Home collection corner, but the separate division - which has existed since 2003 - will be absorbed into the larger Zara brand.

According to CEO Jesper Brodin, any new stores Ikea opens will be smaller city stores. He claims product prices are sure to drop, but home delivery will become more expensive.

Ikea is starting a Swiss test in which offices can rent their furniture instead of buying it. Eventually, the chain wants to give its customers the opportunity to start leasing their interior decoration, allowing people to change the look of their homes from time to time without throwing away furniture.

Swedish furniture giant IKEA has announced it will open its first true city centre store in Paris on 6 May. At just 5400 sqm, it will be Ikea's smallest real store ever (excluding pick-up points).