It’s what we’ve all been waiting for for YEARS – a Kiwi IKEA store where you can shop ’til we drop (drop under the weight of flatpacks and meatballs, of course). It’s one of the best-known brands on earth and while its arrival into Aotearoa has been a long time coming, it turns out there’s a LOT of work to do before its blue and yellow doors open and hundreds of marriages across the country become suddenly endangered (I joke of course but honestly they should include conflict resolution pamphlets with the instructions).
Capsule sat down and chatted with IKEA New Zealand’s head honcho, Johanna Cederlöf, whose job it is to set up our first-ever store (and to get as much tea about the opening as we could, of course!) which is due for late 2025.
Kia ora Johanna, welcome to New Zealand! IKEA is one of the biggest brands in the world, and setting up in a new market must be no easy feat. How do you even begin to start?
Kia ora! I am super excited to be here and to be part of this exciting journey for IKEA New Zealand. Since IKEA is already in many countries, we can draw from the experience of previous openings. But of course, we want each time to be better than the last. To achieve such a big task, we work together with many parts of the business across the IKEA brand to ensure the best market entry and best IKEA store ever. As a team, we are eager to build on our local knowledge and listen to real New Zealanders to understand their needs. And although opening in the right way is really important, I’m also constantly thinking of IKEA New Zealand in the long-term.
Why has it taken IKEA so long to set up in New Zealand, especially considering its presence in Australia for so long?
We ourselves have felt New Zealand has been a missing piece for IKEA, so we are super excited to finally be coming. Setting up in New Zealand is a much bigger job for us as this is the first store and online website to open in the country. The COVID-19 pandemic also brought unexpected delays. Since we announced we would be coming to New Zealand, it has always been our aim to enter in the best way possible. We are a retailer, but we also want to be a good neighbour; it’s not just about doing the right thing but doing things right. For us, this means ensuring our operations are sustainable and making sure to consult with neighbouring businesses, the community, local groups and local iwi in every step.
Despite the long processes, we are pleased with our progress so far, and I am so excited that there’s not long left until our opening in late 2025.
What made you decide to take the reins of setting up in NZ? Are you enjoying your time here?
It has been my childhood dream to live in New Zealand one day. When I joined IKEA 13 years ago, I was asked where I wanted to be in 10 years, as IKEA tends to recruit for the long-term. I knew I wanted to grow in my career and to be a Market Manager (the IKEA term for ‘store manager) one day, so I said if IKEA ever built a store in New Zealand, I want to lead it. Well, 13 years have passed, and I managed to become a Market Manager in 2 countries, Finland and Austria, before and now I am here. Dreams come true!
And I love it here! As a nature and outdoor sports girl, I spend all my free time exploring different parks and playing sports on land and water. I am also curious about how people live in different cities and small towns. I am amazed by how friendly the people are here in New Zealand.
Can you give us some statistics or numbers around the Auckland store (staff, how many products, size, anything else that’s interesting?)
- We will be building a large-format store, larger than the standard store size you’d find in most places around the world. At just over 34,000m^2, the store will consist of three floors – two retail floors and ground-level parking.
- The building will be connected to the Sylvia Park retail precinct.
- The warehouse is big enough to house over 403,000 BILLY bookcases.
- We are committed to doing our bit to be sustainable, with the store running on renewable energy. The store will use 40% less energy (102 kwh/m2) than an operating IKEA store in a similar climate (IKEA Southampton, UK, 170 kWh/m2).
- We hope to hire more than 400 co-workers in different positions across all organisational levels, starting with the recruitment of the People and Culture manager, which is currently ongoing.
- To be as accessible as possible, IKEA will be available to all New Zealanders at the Sylvia Park store, online at IKEA.co.nz, on the IKEA App and through remote shopping over the phone and via live chat.
Will NZ have a full, current range of products? (Also, the question everyone wants to know… will there be meatballs?!)
Yes, IKEA Sylvia Park will have a wide range of products across its store. And of course! We will have a range of the iconic Swedish meatballs, including vegetarian and vegan options as well as New Zealand twists on some of our café and restaurant dishes.
What are your favourite products – what’s in your house right now?
Over the years and through many changes to my living situation, I have had many favourite IKEA products. Right now, my home in Auckland is fairly empty, with only some essential rental furniture and a few products I could bring in my luggage. I am expecting to get the shipment with the rest of my furniture soon. Currently I am totally in love with my VAPPEBY bluetooth speaker. It’s such a tiny device but has great sound. At a small price, it’s durable too. I can take it to the shower or leave it in rain on the terrace.
I have moved many times in my life and have been through many closets to store my clothes and shoes. After all this time, I keep finding myself loving the functionality of the PAX wardrobe system. Because this is a modular system with so many interior fittings to choose from, it can be made to different sizes, arrangements and styles. It really evolves with you and your needs – so I’m keen to get that back in my house.
What is your career background, and how did you come to this point in your career with IKEA?
I have a very versatile career background. I started working from a young age, delivering commercial papers, helping in shops and working in restaurants. As I grew older, I helped with construction work, cared for children and have even worked as a model. I love to learn and understand different kinds of jobs because it helps me become better at making decisions which is also helpful in my personal life.
I landed my first managerial role when I was twenty, leading a sport mall where I had been working as a cashier at the end of high school. That set me on the path I’m on today. It inspired me to study business, economics and leadership. After that, I worked for some HR companies, banks and insurance companies before coming to IKEA.
I began working at IKEA in 2011, so this year marks 13 years. Over a span of nine years at IKEA Finland, I worked within People & Culture, Business Navigation & Operations and as a Store Manager and a Market Manager. I then moved to Vienna, Austria where I was Market Manager for the new city store for three and a half years. This was a small, multilevel, 10,000m2 store that had many differences to a normal IKEA blue box and many daily visitors. It was a unique opportunity for me to be part of the new store project and to work with and develop different modern shopping features including a different layout and way of displaying our range, digital solutions and an automated warehouse.
I see myself as an entrepreneur with a love for innovation and business development which makes Market Manager a fitting role for me. In the end though, it is the people, culture and values that set IKEA apart from other companies and it is what I truly love about working here.
What are your observations about New Zealand so far?
The people I’ve met have been kind enough to explain how things work here and give me tips to get settled in New Zealand. People are also happy to invite me to their homes and share about what they love.
I noticed living spaces here are a little bigger than the ones I’ve seen in Europe. There’s a clear love for the outdoors and a sense that home is a sanctuary and a getaway from the world. The use of spaces in a multifunctional way stood out and I think that speaks to the hands-on nature of people here.
Our IKEA solutions are affordable and designed with inspiration from real homes and real lives. So naturally, I can see so many possibilities and opportunities for IKEA to help make life better in all parts of the home.
Do you have a favourite part of NZ, or a favourite Kiwi businesswomen?
I love to spend my free time outdoors playing different sports outside with my partner. We have found amazing places to go hiking, running and caving, as well as places to do stand-up paddle boarding, swimming and snorkeling. We love all the different natural settings that New Zealand has to offer, in all kinds of weather. The natural landscapes here is one of my favourite things about New Zealand. We enjoy exploring suburbs around Auckland which offer cool places to get coffee and dinner and love to visit different small towns outside Auckland on the weekends.
I am still getting to know the business world here in New Zealand. In general, I have a respect for any and all women who head their own businesses, knowing it is not an easy thing to do.
Recently I heard about Arihia Bennett, the CEO of Te Runanga and admire her servant leadership approach – focusing on the growth and wellbeing of employees and her stance on diversity. I also admire Jolie Hodson, the CEO of Spark NZ because of her prioritisation of diversity and method of building teams with the focus of driving change. In general, I also find businesspeople interesting when they talk about their vision of the future, prioritising sustainability and the necessity of transformation.
What are the biggest challenges about setting up in NZ?
At IKEA, we have a very Swedish heritage which forms a big part of our identity. At the same time, wherever we operate, we aim to reflect the culture and communities around us. So, there’s a need to balance our Swedish roots and our local relevance. I see Auckland as a very diverse place that is constantly evolving. It will be fascinating to see how we co-create a distinct IKEA New Zealand that will remain iconic and feel relevant for locals.
There are also logistical hurdles as New Zealand is in an isolated location and consists of two main islands. Being a good retailer depends a lot on logistics and customer experience. You must get them right and be ready to constantly learn and improve. Additionally, good operations and customer experience cannot come at the cost of anything else. As a business, we have a responsibility to look after people and planet. Having fair and sustainable operations is just as important to us as anything else. Overall, I expect many challenges to come, as so many things we are doing here will be for the first time.