Ikea’s Cristina Rutgers-Astolfi flags continued relevance of bricks and mortar stores in a digital age

In 2024, physical stores will remain a key component of retail, evidenced by data showing that some top-tier malls are, in fact, thriving. That’s according to Cristina Rutgers-Astolfi, Global Head of Analytics Ikea Customer Support.

In a LinkedIn post, she said: “While the digital age has ushered in the era of online shopping and e-commerce, the continued relevance of bricks and mortar stores is a testament to the dynamic and multifaceted nature of consumer preferences and behaviours.”

It’s a POV backed up by new research from Raydiant, based on a survey of 1,000 consumers.

This emphasises the sustained importance of physical retail experiences alongside the convenience of online shopping.

Bobby Marhamat, CEO at Raydiant, says: "Five years of consumer behaviour research have significantly deepened our understanding of the retail landscape.”

“A consistent insight from our studies is the undiminished importance of in-store experiences. Despite the growth of e-commerce, consumers continue to value the unique aspects of physical retail."

Ikea AI Assistant on GPT Store

Ikea has launched an AI powered home design, inspiration and shopping tool, available exclusively on the OpenAI GPT Store.

It says that the move marks “a significant step in democratising planning services and creating a better life for the many, by offering a tool that gives users personalised furniture and decor suggestions based on factors such as room dimensions, personal style, sustainability preferences, budget, functional requirements, and more.”

“The new Ikea AI Assistant on GPT Store is an ongoing initiative, and the continuation of a journey that looks to enrich the retail experience and explore additional avenues to interact with our customers and coworkers, as they help us improve and develop further,” says Parag Parekh, Global Chief Digital Officer at Ikea Retail (Ingka Group).

Users can utilise GPT to articulate their specific home design needs and receive customised recommendations. For instance, ‘’Show me a cozy living room layout for a small apartment with the use of sustainable materials.’’ 

They can also explore Ikea’s catalogue featuring thousands of products, ranging from minimalist designs to artistic collections and check for their availability across different locations.  

And gain inspiration from design ideas, and real life-home transformation stories within the Ikea global community, as well as tips from furnishing experts.

Francesco Marzoni, Chief Data & Analytics Officer (CDAO), says: “We are taking a pragmatic, execution focused approach, learning by doing and capitalising on our early efforts of a responsible AI framework.”

“We activated a broad ecosystem of partners to bring to life several experiments, so that we can take part in the AI evolution as we shape our company strategy.’’   

The Ikea AI Assistant is currently available for GPT Plus users in the US market only.

Ikea is looking to take this to further markets where ChatGPT is available during the coming year.