IKEA, the Swedish furnishing retailer, on Wednesday opened its first experiential centre Ikea Hej (Hello) Home close to the IT hub of Hyderabad and their upcoming first store in the country.

The Hej Home provides some insight into Ikea products and solutions which its future customers can actually buy when the store opens in India at Hyderabad early next year.

The Hej Home, designed and set up over a six-month duration, highlights what the retailer stands for and what to expect from an IKEA store.

Potential future IKEA customers can experience its products before they can actually buy it from its stores in spring 2018.

Ikea Hej Home reflects its understanding of life at home in India and its unique home furnishing solutions for homes.

It also gives a peek into IKEA’s long-standing relationship with India, its history and philanthropic activities. It showcases the IKEA food and room settings based on its learnings of Life at Home in Hyderabadi families, especially those living with children.

The display includes the bedroom, living area, kitchen and dining, play area among others. With the launch of IKEA Hej Home, the retailer is getting closer to the first IKEA India store opening.

Ulf Smedberg, Country Marketing Manager, IKEA India, said: “IKEA Hej Home launch in Hyderabad is a great opportunity to meet the many people who share our passion for home, children, family, food and most importantly our strong values of togetherness and love!"

Ikea loyalty programme

At Ikea Hej Home visitors can connect sign up for its loyalty programme, through which our customers can participate in many activities even before the store opens.

Through this exposition, IKEA also looks forward to connecting with potential future coworkers, especially the women in Hyderabad. IKEA has a commitment to hire 50% women coworkers at all levels in India. As the IKEA experience cannot be complete without food, visitors can also get a glimpse of the IKEA Food and taste Swedish and Indian delicacies that will be sold in the IKEA store’s 1,000 seat restaurant, one of the largest in the world.

Ikea plans to bring Hej Home to other cities as well.

After the Hyderabad store, the second store will open in Mumbai during 2019, followed by Bengaluru and Delhi NCR.