It?s about time Ikea has always been about the physical store experience. The Swedish retailer, which has long relied on labyrinthine big box stores, has been notoriously slow to adopt online shopping. In recent years, Ikea has rushed to make most of its products available to shop online and now it?s turning its attention to apps.
Ikea currently offers an assortment of apps for distinct purposes like viewing its catalog, making an in-store shopping list, or virtually trying out its furniture with augmented reality.?but nothing for actually buying anything. That?s about to change, according to a new report from Reuters. The retailer will be rolling out a new app to its major markets by the end of this year that will let customers purchase products directly from the app interface. The new app will reportedly bring together a number of features, from product browsing and room planning with dimensions to figuring out in-store options and pure online shopping. The all-in-one app will also complement the company?s new strategy of smaller stores in urban centers, allowing store visitors to explore the full range of Ikea products on their own devices.
Ikea told Fast Company that the app would also include a ?feed? feature which will let people ?find, choose, and buy fast from pictures of room sets.? After all, what good is swiping around on a screen full of perfectly curated furniture if there?s no way to buy it"

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