FILE - This is a Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017 file photo of the IKEA sign at the IKEA furnishing store in Magdeburg, Germany. Swedish furniture retailer Ikea said Tuesday Oct. 10, 2017 that it will start selling its goods through third-party web sites as a test "but no decisions made regarding what platforms/markets will be in the pilot." (AP Photo/Jens Meyer/File)
Republished October 10, 2017 - 7:56 AM
Original Publication Date October 10, 2017 - 4:36 AM
STOCKHOLM - Ikea will start selling furniture through third-party websites next year as it tries to find new ways to reach customers in the digital age.
Kaisa Lyckdal, spokeswoman for the Swedish home furnishing giant, says the aim is to start a trial in 2018 but that "no decisions are made regarding what platforms/markets will be in the pilot."
Lyckdal said Tuesday in an email to The Associated Press that Ikea would further develop its online sales strategy "over the coming years."
Ikea's main focus "remains of course with our existing sales channels," including its own websites and stores.
The group says 2.3 billion people globally visited Ikea sites in 2017. Founded in Sweden and headquartered fiscally in Leiden, the Netherlands, Ikea has more than 400 stores in 49 countries.
News from © The Associated Press, 2017