Thailand’s second IKEA store will open in Bangkok’s outskirts on March 15, and it will replace the store in Johor Bahru, Malaysia as the largest IKEA in Southeast Asia, according to Khaosod English.
IKEA Bang Yai, located next to Central Westgate in Nonthaburi province, will feature the 50,278 square-meter retail space on three stories. Most importantly, unlike all IKEA stores in the world, IKEA Bang Yai will feature checkout stands on all floors with six exits.
This was to comply with the shopping behavior of Thai people, who know exactly what they need to buy and always try to minimize walking, Prachachart reported.
IKEA, a Swedish ready-to-assemble furniture store, opened its first Thai store in Bang Na in November 2014. The Bang Na store occupies 44,000 square meters.
In 2015, IKEA added a pick-up and order point in Phuket, charging THB200 per order.
As for Malaysia, while they’re losing the honor of “biggest IKEA store in SE Asia,” they’re still feeling the love. This past August, plans were announced to build the regional distribution hub in the country.
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