Photo courtesy of IKEA
Best Buy this fall plans to pilot IKEA mini-showrooms showcasing “inspirational kitchen and laundry room settings.”
The in-store shops, launching in 10 stores throughout Florida and Texas, will span 1,000 square feet and offer products from both retailers (sorry, no IKEA Swedish meatballs). IKEA associates will be available to plan and order home furnishing solutions, with Best Buy employees on hand to provide advice on electronics.
Best Buy’s stores also feature similar in-store shops from a number of electronics brands, including Apple, Microsoft, and Samsung, but this represents its first such home furnishings partnership.
“When you’re shopping for new electronics, whether it’s a laptop or a TV or a washing machine, it’s important to understand the technology and make a decision based on how it will help you, your family and your home in your everyday life,” said Patrick McGinnis, chief merchandising officer at Best Buy. “With this partnership, we get to combine technology and design and show shoppers what’s truly possible in their home like never before.”
The partnership will represent the first time IKEA products and services will be accessible through another U.S. retailer.
“By bringing together our home furnishing expertise, products, and services with Best Buy’s leadership in appliances and technology, we’re creating a one-stop destination where customers can design their dream kitchen, storage solutions or laundry space with ease,” added Rob Olson, chief operation officer, IKEA U.S. "It’s a great step on our journey to helping people create beautiful, functional homes at a price they can afford.”
IKEA Expanding its Retail Footprint With Smaller Stores, Shop-in-Shop Offerings
The Swedish retailer has been opening a number of smaller stores to be more accessible to consumers versus its massive warehouses located on major city outskirts.
These include 17 “Plan & Order Point” showrooms, at generally less than 5,000 square feet, offering consultations for kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom projects while serving as pickup points. IKEA also has three smaller city locations in California in Arcadia, San Francisco, and San Marcos, ranging from 11,000 to 52,000 square feet.
The Best Buy partnership also comes as IKEA has been aggressively reducing prices as high interest rates, inflation, and a slowing housing market have impacted demand for furniture and decor.
For Best Buy, the partnership could spark foot traffic and provides more credibility in the home area, with the retailer already a major seller of appliances. Appliances -- ranging from dishwashers, laundry, ovens, and refrigerators to blenders, coffee makers, and vacuums -- made up 12% of Best Buy’s sales last year. The appliance category, however, has recently been a laggard for Best Buy due to weak demand for large appliances, with same-stores sales tumbling 15% in both 2023 and 2024.