LONDON, June 13 (Reuters) – IKEA is training call centre workers to become interior design advisers as the Swedish furniture giant aims to offer more home improvement services and hand run-of-the-mill customer queries to an artificial intelligence bot called Billie. In April, IKEA expanded its interior design services to the UK and United States, after […]
Ikea
Ikea France found guilty in employee spying scandal
A French court ruled Tuesday that Ikea had set up an elaborate system to illegally spy on hundreds of employees and job applicants over several years, using private detectives as well as police sources. The French unit of the Swedish furniture giant was fined one million euros ($1.2 million) while its former chief Jean-Louis Baillot […]
Renting flat-pack furniture? Ikea’s push to go green
Ikea will start renting and recycling furniture worldwide as part of an eco-friendly drive to address concerns its affordable, flat-pack business model leads to overconsumption and waste. Sceptics see the Swedish giant’s initiative as a mere marketing ploy, while supporters see a genuine seachange. Either way, Ikea says it plans to become a circular business […]
Bookcases and biryani collide as Ikea tackles India
HYDERABAD: Ikea revolutionised homeware retail with affordable, self-assembly furniture with a Scandinavian twist, sold in stroll-around megastores offering a break for Swedish meatballs. On Thursday its first Indian outlet opens — with success far from guaranteed. While Indians may be getting richer, creating an apparent golden opportunity for Ikea as in other emerging economies, spending […]