This week, Ikea opened its first store in India –a feat the company has been planning for many years. But while the big, blue exterior of the store looks the same, the interiors, from the displays to the products themselves, have been subtlety tailored to accommodate cultural differences.

It’s a strategy Ikea has used to expand from its origins in Sweden, now reaching 30 markets in Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia: keep the general idea and most of the products the same, with small tweaks to help ease people into the Ikea view of the world (and convince them to shop there). After all, what an American shopper is looking for is different from what an Indian consumer wants. To discern the differences, the company sends its representatives into homes all over the world to talk to people, asking what their needs are, what they can afford, and how they like to shop.

As Ikea has expanded into Asia over the last five years, this has been a crucial part of its strategy–along with preserving the company’s instantly recognizable brand and its famed shopping experience. But even crucial elements of Ikea’s business, like flatpacking most furniture, have to be rethought in some Asian countries, where consumers expect that furniture is assembled for them.

Here’s how Ikea tweaked its design in its new Indian store–and around the world.

Indian furniture can beat the heat and humidity

In the hot, humid climate of southern India, untreated pine furniture–which might work in cooler climates–is a no-go. As the New York Times reports, that meant the company had to adjust some of its furniture designs to use different materials. And because people tend to clean their floors using water, the designers added risers to keep furniture from getting wet.

The way Indian families use their space also impacted the number of product options: Because impromptu family gatherings are common, Ikea offers a greater number of stools and folding chairs in the India store.

Chinese Ikea showrooms get their very own balconies

The displays in the showroom are culturally relevant as well: In China, the showroom includes an entire section on balconies, which are common in Chinese homes. But in southern China, these balcony displays show them being used to dry clothes, while in northern Chinese Ikea stores, the displays show the balcony as another place for food storage–both according to the custom in the area.