Swedish furniture giant IKEA is introducing its plan-and-order format in the Philippines through the opening of its second, albeit small-scale, store in northern Metro Manila as it ramps up efforts to broaden access to its home furnishings.

IKEA is partnering with Ayala Malls to open its Plan and Order store at TriNoma Mall in Quezon City, which will open on Oct. 23.

In contrast to its Pasay City branch, which is IKEA’s largest store globally, the TriNoma branch will cover only 500 square meters, making it one of the smallest in the company’s portfolio.

Under the plan-and-order format, customers may consult with an IKEA specialist, trained in interior design, to help design any part of their home. This service is at no cost for shoppers.

From there, customers can order furniture, which will be picked up at the store or delivered directly to their doorstep.

The Plan and Order Shop also features room vignettes and products that shoppers can purchase in-store, particularly for items under eating, cooking, and home organization areas.

Another unique facet of the store is that it will be purely cashless, accepting only digital and card payments.

“This milestone, it's also quite special for us, because in collaboration with Ayala, customers will discover our own furnishing range of products, well designed, with quality, functional, at prices so low that the majority of the Filipinos will be able to afford them,” said IKEA Philippines Country Retail Manager Ricardo Pinheiro at a media launch on Tuesday, Oct. 14.

Pinheiro said opening a branch in Quezon City has been a long time coming for IKEA, as the city accounts for the largest number of its customers.

IKEA expects the branch to serve the residential markets of Quezon City, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, and Valenzuela, as well as nearby provinces such as Bulacan and Pampanga.

The company spent around ₱30 million for its newest store, with investments also poured into train 14 of its employees in interior design solutions

Pinheiro said there are no plans yet for IKEA to build a huge store in Quezon City, but he hinted that the plan-and-order format could act as a testing ground for its expansion plans.

“With this Plan and Order Shop, it's a way for us to bring our identity closer to the Quezon City customers,” said Pinheiro.

“And we are really looking forward to see the results. Let's see how this works so that we can take future decisions for IKEA in the future,” he added.

However, one thing is certain for IKEA: it will utilize both large-scale and small-scale stores to expand its presence nationwide.

Despite its partnership with Ayala Malls for the TriNoma branch, Pinheiro noted that its partnership with the SM Group remains part of its long-term plan.

IKEA’s store in Pasay City, which opened in 2021, is located at the MOA Square, the latest expansion to SM Mall of Asia (MOA).

Pinheiro said a second IKEA store, in partnership with the SM Group—with rumors of SM Megamall as the venue circulating—is not part of the company’s plans in the near future.

Meanwhile, IKEA’s footprint in the Philippines could soon expand to manufacturing, with the company taking “first steps” to see how the country could supply some of its products.

Currently, the company is already sourcing its plant products locally, with plans for rapid expansion already in the pipeline.

In addition to this, there are plans to leverage the country’s textile products, but nothing has been confirmed so far.