Overview
Everyone that's ever bought a piece of furniture knows the usual IKEA experience. You block out as much time as possible, wander through its cavernous halls, dream about everything you'd like to do to your house or apartment, spend too long filling a bag or trolley, then go home with plenty of new things to find places for (and a hefty wishlist for next time). But the Swedish retailer has been shaking up that routine in 2022, courtesy of a few new initiatives — including its just-announced Australian-first Sustainable Living Shops.
Already this year, IKEA has started an online marketplace for ex-display, pre-loved and discontinued products in Australia, and also launched its first Australian Plan and Order Point location in Melbourne — a concept store at Highpoint Shopping Centre where you can chat to someone one-on-one about kitchen makeovers and wardrobe organisation, then order right there. The Sustainable Living Shops will take you back to the brand's usual locations, though, offering a store-within-a-store setup that's all about helping customers make eco-friendly choices.
Inside, shoppers will find products to assist with reducing your climate footprint at home — so things that'll aid you in using less energy and creating less waste. LED lightbulbs that last 25,000 hours, energy-saving light control systems, rechargeable batteries, blinds that trap heat, cooling pads, mattress protectors that help control the temperature while you sleep: they're all on the shelves here. So are energy-efficient induction cooktops, home solar systems and water-saving showerheads.
IKEA clearly wants to do the environment a solid, and do its part to help its customers to — and it's positioning the new sections as a cost-of-living boost, too. Plenty of the products in the Sustainable Living Shops are designed to bring about savings, like not having to buy lightbulbs as often, or batteries, or run heating and cooling systems.
In total, the brand is setting up ten locations within its existing stores, with IKEA's Rhodes, Marsden Park, Canberra, Springvale and Perth sites already home to their own Sustainable Living Shops.
Next comes Adelaide by December 4, then Tempe by December 18 and Logan by December 25. Then, Richmond will join the list sometime in January 2023, followed by North Lakes in April 2023.
IKEA's Sustainable Living Shops have started to open around Australia, including at the chain's Rhodes, Marsden Park, Canberra, Springvale and Perth stores already, with further sites to come by April 2023. Keep an eye on the IKEA website for further details.