Ikea is focusing on local presence and B2B. Meanwhile, Swedish food remains a key differentiator in large, traditional stores

It is no surprise that Ikea is focusing on local presence, even though business in its large stores still accounts for 80 per cent of turnover.

The new initiative being developed in Italy, in Carugate, is a B2B showroom run by the Ikea for Business division.

In the larger stores, however, food sales – including own-brand products – have developed very well and account for more than 6 per cent of turnover: customers can take a lunch break or do their shopping, buying products not available elsewhere.

What it certainly hadn’t anticipated was that The New York Times would fall in love with 18 of its food products, among which the chicken meatballs and the small prawns found in the Nordic countries stand out.