No matter where you are in the world, shopping in Ikea is always a consistent experience.
The Swedish furniture company has always laid its stores out in much the same way, guiding shoppers through stylised and mocked-up rooms in homes, before leading them into the market hall where they can actually pick up the items, and eventually, check out.
But the set route customers have always been required to follow through stores could soon be a thing of the past, as the brand announces plans to introduce what it calls a more immersive shopping experience.
Customers can expect to become “part of the furniture”, industry media reports, by lounging around in the spaces and becoming the focus of attention with Ikea’s new concept that it says is aimed at encouraging sustainability.
The new interactive experience will include activities such as light therapy, where customers will be encouraged to “interact, connect, recharge” as well as take selfies for their social media. There will also be “creative rooms” where customers will be taught how to make and repair household items, according to reports.
The new “home experience of tomorrow” experience is set to be first be trialled in Shanghai, China. It had previously been trialled in the Polish city of Szczecin, where it was pitched to shoppers as an opportunity to learn about sustainable living.
“See how to make your home live with full respect for nature. You will learn about the new role of houseplants. You will find new, efficient ways to process waste. You will regenerate yourself with light and try the zero-waste cuisine,” the Szczecin promotional material read.
The initiative is expected to be rolled out across Europe after the trial in China.
Chief executive and president of Ikea China, Anna Pawlak-Kuliga, told German retail magazine Lebensmittel Zeitung: “People have high expectations of their homes and a considerable need to belong to a social community.”
She hoped the new concept will help customers “continue to be inspired to lead a meaningful life at home, as well as outside their own homes.”
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Jetour T1 specs
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Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
