The UK arm of flat-pack furniture giant Ikea has confirmed that it is winning over more customers with its products that are available via safe shopping online, reporting a 27 per cent boost to web-based sales over the past year.

This comes after the company rolled out an ambitious new strategy aimed at transforming its digital services and attracting more people to place orders online, especially in cases where they could not reasonably get to a bricks and mortar store.

The firm also outlined the benefits associated with its sustainable approach to home delivery, with 98 per cent of the materials used to make the packaging found on Ikea products either made from renewable resources or offering the option to be recycled. Within the coming 12 months it will hit the 100 per cent mark in terms of packaging sustainability.

Spokesperson Peter Jelkeby admitted that the UK’s retail sector was going through a tough period at the moment, leading to less than ideal operating conditions. However, he said that Ikea was well attuned to the changing trends that were shaping the market and altering consumer behaviours, with the end goal being to create a completely circular operational set-up within a decade.

With 224 million visits recorded by Ikea’s online store in 2019, there have been some other major new features rolled out, especially in terms of its mobile app. The use of augmented reality to allow for pre-purchase previews of how products will look in situ has been an especially groundbreaking development, which other retailers are no doubt scrambling to emulate.

The fact that an established bricks and mortar brand can transform itself into a successful presence on the digital marketplace at this late stage in its development is reassuring for those that have yet to make the leap.