IKEA-Kuwait celebrates Silver jubilee
IKEA Kuwait recently celebrated its 25th anniversary of business operations in Kuwait. At a ceremony to mark the event, Saleh Al Homaizi, chairman of IKEA-Kuwait, said, “Two and a half decades ago, when IKEA decided to introduce their globally-standardized yet different home furnishing concept to Kuwait’s culturally-distinct market place, we factored in local consumer needs and home furnishing purchase preferences to build an enduring relationship with our customers, which we continue to enjoy to this date.”
Mr. Homaizi continued, “The single most important factor that has enabled us to enjoy market leadership is the unique business philosophy of taking a sustainable approach towards business. While this approach is based on economies of scale and cost efficiency it does not compromise on quality, appealing design or a wide range of both functional and aesthetic choices. As a result, we are able to offer products that are value for money to different segments of customers.”
Outlining significant milestones in its 25-year history, Adel Al Shamali, general manager of IKEA-Kuwait, reminisced about how the company grew from an initial space of 3,800 square meters to the present 21,000 square meters; from a total annual footfall of 61,280 visitors in 1984 to more than 2 million in recent years; from 59,136 catalogues distributed in its first year of operations to half a million copies distributed in 2009, IKEA-Kuwait he said has progressively impacted the quality of people’s lives in the country. Recently the company was also recognized as a Kuwait Superbrand.
On the occasion of the silver jubilee, Al Homaizi also announced that IKEA-Kuwait will commence a year-long Corporate Citizenship Program to support non-profit organizations in Kuwait that provide services to the local community.