People shopping from IKEA are having to wait for their orders – but one marketing expert says it probably won’t stop them going back for more.
The home furnishings giant opened its first New Zealand shop in Auckland last week, with online deliveries around the country.
A spokesperson said it had been “bowled over” by the response from New Zealanders.
“The sales and orders secured over the first few days have surpassed our expectations, but as a result our fulfilment operations are taking longer than anticipated to meet these orders.
“As a brand new team, we are learning quickly and adapting our operations to meet this incredible level of demand, and we are working around the clock to secure optimal operations as soon as possible.
“Customers who have placed delivery or click and collect orders will be contacted by our customer service team in the coming days to agree on a convenient time for delivery or collection.
“Thank you for bearing with us during these busy opening days and rest assured, we are committed to getting all orders to customers as quickly as possible.”
Bodo Lang, a marketing expert from Massey University, said a delayed delivery would take some of the shine off the fascination that New Zealand shoppers had with Ikea.
“But it won’t stop them from shopping there again. If IKEA responds to these delays it is an opportunity for IKEA to turn these slightly disappointed shoppers into IKEA loyalists. Adding a voucher or even a personalised note can turn a slight disappointment around.”
