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Sensible gifting took centre stage as consumers embraced practicality this Christmas

Retail Focus

Sector highlights: practicality tops the list The 2024 Boxing Day sales also saw impressive growth in categories tied to utility and everyday improvements: DIY sector revenue surged by 173% YOY driven by an increase in home improvement gifts such as tools and supplies.

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IKEA trials “Home Experience of Tomorrow” concept store

Retail Focus

“People have higher expectations for home, and a greater desire to belong in the community and social life,” says Anna Pawlak-Kuliga, Country Retail Manager and Chief Sustainability Officer for China. The essence of retail is to serve people. Open meeting places are designed to encourage interaction and community.

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Elk Home Liquidating

VMS

Elk Home (Nesquehoning, Pa.) The designer lighting/home furnishings retailer has hired GA Group to run a liquidation sale for the $46 million in inventory the company still has at its distribution center in Georgia. is going out of business. and New York. Published reports say those locales are now closed.

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Next buys Cath Kidston out of administration

Inside Retail

British clothing brand Next has acquired the website and intellectual property of home furnishings label Cath Kidston for £8.5 Cath Kidston is a home furnishing retail company that sells vintage-themed goods, homewares, gifts and handicraft items that incorporate British lifestyle themes. million (A$15.65

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Ikea to launch small-format Planning Studio concept in Australia

Inside Retail

Unlike its traditional warehouse-like stores, the Planning Studio is sized between 300-500sqm and designed for customers to plan and order complex home furnishings and services such as dining, kitchens, and bed spaces. The first is in Northwest Melbourne, with the second planned for Newcastle.

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Ikea Australia lets customers buy second-life products

Inside Retail

Lachlan Mitchell, Ikea Australia’s product recovery leader, said: “Our new As-Is Online platform gives our customers an easy way to shop more sustainably and find the perfect home furnishing products to make their life at home better.”.

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Ikea Halves Menu Prices in 15 Countries

VMS

Though its main business is the sale of furniture and home furnishings, Ikea’s in-house restaurants (think Swedish meatballs) also bring in $2.5 billion yearly, according to a variety of published estimates.