Name me one furniture brand in India,” challenges Pankaj Poddar. Arms folded across his chest, he waits for a response. When an answer is hard to come by—excluding furniture marketplaces like Pepperfry and Urban Ladder—the 40-year-old founder and CEO of Hipcouch, an end-to-end interior decorating services company, smiles knowingly. “That’s because there’s aren’t any [branded players of significance],” he says, “The market is completely fragmented and unorganised.”

Publication: Forbes (Online)

Date: October 30, 2018

Mumbai-based online furniture startup Pepperfry has reshuffled its senior management, as it looks to expand product offering. Hussaine Kesury, former head of furniture vertical, will now act as the Chief Activation Officer. He will be taking care of the brick and mortar Studios, which enables customers to touch and feel products, before buying them. These studios contribute about 25-30% to the furniture e-tailers’ sales.

Publication: The Indian Wire (Online)

Date: October 30, 2018

The company in question is Swedish multinational and the world’s largest furniture retailer IKEA, which recently opened its first store in the country, six years after getting the approvals. In the past six years, its India arm, IKEA India, has spent more than Rs 5,250 crore and opened one store, started construction of its second (Navi Mumbai) and third store (Bengaluru); acquired land for another couple of stores and is currently in the process of acquiring land across half a dozen cities for further expansion. For the record, IKEA India’s first store in HITEC City, Hyderabad, which opened in August, took two years to build.

Publication: Business World (Online)

Date: October 30, 2018

Danube Home, a Dubai-based furniture retail brand, is also set for Indian foray with its first store in the country scheduled to be opened in the city on November 1. The company established the store at Sarath’s City Capital Shopping Mall in Kondapur.

Publication:  The Hans India (Online)

Date: October 30, 2018

It’s a bit early for holiday ads – it’s not even Halloween yet. But if you’re in need of some goodwill and holiday spirit, check out Ikea’s new U.S. ad from Ogilvy New York and Sweetshop. As Ad Age’s Adrianne Pasquarelli writes, the brand’s warm, cozy spot celebrates families that are diverse in terms of religion, ethnicity and age. “Our holidays don’t all look the same—maybe that’s what makes us great,” the voiceover says. In 2018, in America, that doesn’t seem like a throwaway line.

Publication: AdAge (Online)

Date: October 29, 2018

Furniture etailer Pepperfry has reshuffled its top management and will also be expanding its business. Hussaine Kesury, who was heading the furniture vertical, has now assumed the role of chief activation officer. He will be responsible for the brick-andmortar Studios, where customers can touch and feel products and then buy them online. These studios have been contributing 25-30% to the Bengalurubased company’s sales, said founder Ashish Shah.

Publication: The Economic Times (Online)

Date: October 29, 2018

It looks like the wise words – ‘creativity is making marvellous out of the discarded’ – have become a major business opportunity in India. From used cars to books, everything can be sold and bought online these days. You have portals like Olx and Quickr that let you buy and sell almost every article, device or object. At the same time, if you are looking for specific products there are specialised portals too. Urban Ladder for furniture, Bookchor and Pustak Kosh for books, Cars24 and CarDekho for cars.

Publication: India Today (Online)

Date: October 29, 2018

Although the results pertain to the period prior to the Flipkart-Walmart deal, it highlights the challenges Walmart will face in turning around Flipkart amid stiff competition from Amazon India.

Publication: Mint (Online)

Date: October 29, 2018

For two decades, colour expert Latika Khosla, 57, has tracked India’s colour preferences. Her firm Freedom Tree Design has consulted for a range of businesses in India and overseas such as Akzo Nobel, Hyundai, Shisheido, Home Town and Godrej. The Freedom Tree store in Bandra is her little window to the Indian consumer’s colour palette.

Publication: The Economic Times (Online)

Date: October 28, 2018

Owning is passe; hiring is the new credo. Wandering millennials, material needs intact, don’t care about stuff doomed by obsolescence.

Publication: Outlook Business (Online)

Date: October 26, 2018

To many, retail seems to be having an identity crisis. The growth of online retail is blamed for the closed shopfronts on American and European streets and dead malls in India and China. At the same time, Amazon is opening physical stores and buying offline retail operations in the US and in India, whereas the world’s largest retailer, Walmart, is busy digesting India’s e-commerce market leader (Flipkart). India’s online fashion and lifestyle websites too — including Myntra, FirstCry, Yepme and FabAlley – are acquiring offline brands or opening stores.

Publication: Financial Express (Online)

Date: October 26, 2018

Amazon’s international growth slowed considerably during the September quarter, with the company citing a later Diwali sale in India compared to the previous year as one of the main reasons. The Seattle-based company was, however, able to temper losses from international business, with losses falling significantly by 59% from the September quarter last year, when they had ballooned to nearly $1 billion.

Publication: The Economic Times (Online)

Date: October 26, 2018

The report presents an inside and out evaluation of the Online Home Decor including empowering innovations, key patterns, showcase drivers, challenges, institutionalization, administrative scene, arrangement models, administrator contextual analyses, openings, future guide, esteem chain, environment player profiles and methodologies. The report additionally shows figures for Online Home Decor speculations from 2018 till 2023.

Publication: The India Reporter (Online)

Date: October 26, 2018

Pepperfry is all set to complete its seven years in the market. Over the years, the brand has established a strong position for itself in the furniture and home products segment. With the help of its high intensity and consistent marketing strategy including traditional and new-age channels be it TV, outdoor, radio, events, social/content, etc, Pepperfry has been able to connect with its audiences and managed a strong top of the mind recall.

Publication: AdAge (Online)

Date: October 23, 2018

After spending a hectic day at the office or after running for some household errands, it doesn’t matter how exhausted you will be if you are getting a better, fresh bedding to lie down. It is quite a challenging task when it comes to designing your bedroom. You would want to have a stylish and modern bed design but on the other hand, you would want it to be calm and a functional piece of your soulful bedroom as well.

Publication: Hans India (Online)

Date: October 25, 2018

Furniture and home furnishing marketplace Pepperfry closed fiscal 2018 on a high note, thanks to a strong performance by its private labels and new lines of business that helped improve margins. Pepperfry, owned by the TrendSutra group and backed by Goldman Sachs and Norwest Venture Partners, posted a 20% increase in revenue at Rs 308.46 crore. Its loss shrank 32% from the previous year to Rs 169.26 crore.

Publication: The Economic Times (Online)

Date: October 24, 2018

After a much-anticipated and incredibly long wait, IKEA – the Swedish furniture maker – opened doors to its first Indian store in Hyderabad, two months ago. This launch was preceded by the brand’s first ever communication campaign in India, crafted by Dentsu Impact – a creative arm of the Dentsu Aegis Network.

Publication: Afaqs (Online)

Date: October 22, 2018

The festive season — usually falling between late September and early October — is the time when brands go all guns blazing with advertising campaigns. Online furniture brand Pepperfry has tweaked its approach this time with two campaigns — one for the pre-festive phase and another for the actual festive season. How is it working for the brand?

Publication: Financial Express (Online)

Date: October 22, 2018

It’s that time of the year again when you are staring at your walls, curtains, sitting on your sofa and eyeing that cushion and thinking: it’s time for a change. Good news: home makeovers have never been this easy. All you need is some smart thinking, sharp execution and little changes that go the distance.

Publication: Times of India (Online)

Date: October 21, 2018

Here’s your chance to join the likes of Hollywood A-listers such as actors, Jennifer Lawrence, Anna Kendrick and Ryan Reynolds and pop icons, Kanye West and Miley Cyrus, who are all big fans of IKEA. The Swedish furniture retailer opened its doors in India earlier this year. The 4,00,000 sq ft (13-acre) Hyderabad showroom will house around 7,500 products (out of which about 1,000 cost less than `200), designed to integrate within an Indian home but reflective of the Swedish furniture retailer’s clean, minimal sensibility and aesthetic. The Swedish company in fact, visited over 1,000 homes across Indian to understand the needs and aspirations of consumers before finalising the products for the store.

Publication: India Today (Online)

Date: October 20, 2018

Ever since IKEA has opened its first store in Hyderabad, there has been a lot of buzz around the Swedish home decor brand. However, for those who can’t travel the distance, there’s some good news. You can get your hands on IKEA products as some of them are now available online, just in time for Diwali.

Publication: The New Indian Express (Online)

Date: October 19, 2018

After a much-anticipated and incredibly long wait, IKEA – the Swedish furniture maker – opened doors to its first Indian store in Hyderabad, two months ago. This launch was preceded by the brand’s first ever communication campaign in India, crafted by Dentsu Impact – a creative arm of the Dentsu Aegis Network.

Publication: Afaqs (Online)

Date: October 18, 2018

The products are shipped directly from the factory to the consumer’s house. Following such a model has huge price implications. At present, Wakefit sells only online – through its own website, Amazon, Flipkart, and Pepperfry. The mattresses cost Rs 5,000-25,000, depending on the thickness. “We are 45 per cent cheaper than the big brands – there are no middlemen. The big brands have two-three levels of middlemen,” says Ramalingegowda. Wakefit’s competition includes brands such as Sleepwell, Kurlon, and Duroflex.

Publication: Business Today (online)

Date: October 10, 2018

When Peter Betzel left the German operations of Ikea to come and work in India in October, before taking over as the CEO in March, the last thing he imagined was that Indians were more likely to shop on their smart phones using mobile apps than Germans. It seemed counter-intuitive.

Publication: Business Standard (Online)

Date: October 18, 2018

After engaging in cutthroat competition during the online festive season sales, market share claims have now become a point of disagreement between the biggies in the e-commerce space. Flipkart has made claims of grabbing 70 per cent share of the online festive season sales. Amazon, however, doesn’t not approve this huge claim.

Publication: Financial Chronicle (Online)

Date: October 16, 2018

As the festive season begins, exciting offers and discounts are just around the corner. Navratri marks the beginning of the festive season and the celebrations extend further till Diwali. This period is a great time for your big purchases like electronics, home appliances, furniture, etc. Moreover, you can make use of EMI offers from Bajaj Finserv to purchase your desired products in the form of affordable no-cost EMIs, with a tenure of your choice.

Publication: The Pioneer (Online)

Date: October 16, 2018

Just two months after it opened its first store in India, Swedish furniture retailer IKEA is devising new strategies to penetrate deeper into the country. The world’s largest furniture retailer is considering tie-ups with real-estate developers to sell wardrobes, kitchen sets, and other such products for new and upcoming apartments, a top IKEA executive told Quartz.

Publication: MSN Money India (Online)

Date: October 16, 2018

Just after opening its first store in Hyderabad, Swedish furniture-maker IKEA is planning to open its next outlet in Bengaluru, which might be followed by Navi Mumbai and Delhi. According to IANS reports, in the next phase, IKEA would cover Ahmedabad, Surat, Pune, Chennai, and Kolkata.

Publication: The New Indian Express (Online)

Date: October 15, 2018

The gig economy is expanding at an accelerating rate and reports suggest that by 2020, 50 percent of the working population will be a part of it. In 2017, the size of the global gig economy was estimated at $3.7 Tn, with India not far behind. In fact, PayPal’s recent study stated that India has the largest freelancer market in the world and is highly poised for growth, with web and mobile development, web designing, internet research and data entry being some of the key focus areas for Indian freelancers.

Publication: People Matters (Online)

Date: October 15, 2018

Making a space for your kids may not appear to be simple. In any case, with Amazon India’s astonishing accumulation of kid’s room items, you can pick the sort of room you need to give your kids and the one they merit. From bedding to furniture and divider stylistic layout, you can browse a plenty of items. Amazon is offering budget ideas to renovate your kid’s room this festive season so, take complete benefit of the Amazon Great Indian Sale and you can save even more.

Publication: Times of India (Online)

Date: October 14, 2018

The ease of buying is making millennials the largest online purchasers of furniture and home accessories. Hassle-free shopping, easy availability, smart designs, good quality and door-step delivery have spiked the demand for furnishings.

Publication: Tribune (Online)

Date: October 14, 2018

More men are taking the final decision in the selection of furniture, which is traditionally viewed as the domain of women, as per a survey conducted by Godrej Interio in 10 cities. According to the Godrej Interio’s Interio Index, men (24.9%) have overtaken women (23.1%) in decision-making regarding the buying of furniture at home. As much as 71.6% of the men surveyed claimed that they were always or often involved in the choice of furniture, in a sample size of 1,700 people.

Publication: The Hindu (Online)

Date: October 13, 2018

After making waves with their flagship outlet in Hyderabad, Swedish furniture brand IKEA has announced its entry into the city of Bengaluru. Set to open in the summer of 2020, the company plans to invest close to ₹1,000 crores for the 500,000-square-foot project — a whole 100,000-square-foot bigger than the Hyderabad store, which opened on August 9. The furniture retail giant plans to expand to 49 cities pan India by 2030 — it will open doors in Mumbai by 2019 — through both small and large format stores.

Publication: Architectural Digest (Online)

Date: October 12, 2018

Swedish furniture retailer Ikea said it’s looking for opportunities to open smaller stores too as part of its expansion strategy in India. “While we will add big stores in the country, we will also give the opportunity to smaller formats,” Ikea India CEO Peter Betzel, who attended the ground-breaking ceremony of the Swedish retailer’s third India store in Bengaluru on Thursday, told BloombergQuint in an interview. “We are looking for opportunities in cities like Bengaluru and Mumbai.”

Publication: Bloomberg Quint (Online)

Date: October 12, 2018

After setting up base in Hyderabad, Swedish furniture, kitchen appliances, and home accessories major IKEA is all set to open its online store in 2019, reported livemint.com. Additionally, it has also shared a plan for its Bengaluru store, which will be set up in 2020.

Publication: Times Now (Online)

Date: October 12, 2018

Swedish home furnishings retailer Ikea would commence its e-commerce operations in the country by March next year, Ikea India Chief Executive Officer Peter Betzel said on Thursday. “Ikea will create a multichannel experience for its customers in India. It will launch e-commerce in Mumbai early next summer (March) and introduce other touch points to bring the brand closer to customers,” he told PTI here.

Publication: The Hindu Business Line (Online)

Date: October 11, 2018

IKEA India, the Swedish home furnishings retailer, on Thursday laid foundation stone for its third store in Nagasandra, Bengaluru. The 500,000 sq. ft. store, planned to open in summer 2020, is connected to the Nagasandra Metro Station. IKEA store is expected to attract more than 7 million visitors per year.

Publication: The Economic Times (Online)

Date: October 11, 2018

Amazon is giving away bulk discounts as part of its Great Indian Festival sale. Some mega offerings are available for those looking at sprucing up their home furniture space in different categories.

Publication: The Economic Times (Online)

Date: October 10, 2018

Online furniture platform Pepperfry has reported consolidated revenue of Rs 3.08 billion in FY2017-18 (year ended March 31), up 20 per cent year on year, and has also substantially cut losses for the period. The losses in FY18 stood at Rs 1.69 billion, as compared to Rs 2.48 billion, a reduction of 32 per cent over the year, the company said on Wednesday.

Publication: Business Standard (Online)

Date: October 10, 2018

IKEA reported a 5 percent rise in annual sales on Wednesday as strong online growth and new stores in India and several other countries helped the world’s biggest furniture retailer cope with mounting competition. The Swedish chain enjoyed decades of rapid growth as shoppers flocked to its out-of-town warehouses to pick up cheap furniture to assemble at home.

Publication: First Post (Online)

Date: October 11, 2018

Set to transform Bengaluru this November, Bengaluru By Design is India’s first design festival with over 20 events across 9 days with the aim of engaging an audience of over 6 million. The festival will bring tangible change across the city through public installations, workshops, conferences, screenings, talks and design-pop-ups, design markets, and more from 23 November to 2 December 2018 in Bengaluru. ​Design X Business ​is the first of their D: Talks series leading up to the Festival to be held on 10 October 2018, 4 pm to 6 pm at WeWork Galaxy, Bengaluru, who are the Productivity Partner of the festival.

Publication: Indulge (Online)

Date: October 9, 2018

Global Home Decor Market breakdown data by leading manufacturers, key region, product type and application, also researches the market share, market status, growth rate, future trends, market drivers, opportunities, challenges, risks, distributors, and sales channels.

Publication: Z Herald (Online)

Date: October 8, 2018

Swedish home furnishing company IKEA, which opened its first store in Hyderabad in August this year, is planning to widen its reach across the country. The homecare major is planning to implement an omnichannel strategy to acquire a significant market share in the growing Indian furniture market. According to various estimates, the Indian furniture market is pegged at about $10 billion.

Publication: The New Indian Express (Online)

Date: October 6, 2018

Swedish furniture giant Ikea Sunday said it would not raise the prices of low-end furniture and furnishing products if the company costs increase due to Centre’s recent hike in customs duty on some furnishing items to curb imports of non-essential goods.

Publication: The Economic Times (Online)

Date: October 7, 2018

Swedish furniture and home accessories company IKEA plans to invest nearly Rs 3,000 crore in the next three years to open three fulfilment centres (packing warehouses) in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi. The company would open the centres as an omni-channelling brand with large IKEA stores, city centre stores and online presence, deputy country manager (Management) of IKEA India Patrik Antony told here Friday.

Publication: The Economic Times (Online)

Date: October 5, 2018

After a long delay, the Ikea Bengaluru store is inching towards reality. The ground work for the Ikea store is scheduled for October 11. The store is to come up behind the Nagasandra Metro station (off Tumkur Road).

Publication: Bangalore Mirror (Online)

Date: October 5, 2018

Talking to ET Now’s Rahul Dayama, IKEA’s India deputy manager Patrik Antoni says increasing costs, at some point, will have to be passed on to customers. Antoni is commenting on India’s recently announced duty changes on 19 items including air-conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines and furniture fittings to curb the current account deficit and stem the slide in the rupee against the dollar. Listen-in.

Publication: Economic Times (Online)

Date: October 6, 2018

Hospitality is a serious business, and with the emergence of high-spending corporate travellers, the stakes at plush hotels have gone up further. Hotels have been offering suites for decades but changes in people’s tastes and preferences are prompting them to take a relook.

Publication: Business Today (Online)

Date: October 2, 2018

Amitabh Pande, Strategic Planner, IKEA India, speaks to exchange4media about the relevance of content marketing to the success of an organisation and key performance indicators for a content marketing campaign. Pande believes that every brand needs a well thought-out content strategy and needs to bring that to life.

Publication: Exchange 4 Media (Online)

Date: October 3, 2018

The festive season is just around the corner and for millions of Indians, this season begins with the auspicious and grandeur festival of lights – Diwali. Diwali or Deepavali is one of the most loved Hindu festivals, celebrated with great enthusiasm by the Indian diaspora.

Publication: The Times of India (Online)

Date: October 3, 2018

kea made a big bang when they finally opened a mega-store in Hyderabad. Thousands flocked to the furniture giant’s first outlet in India, creating scenes of chaos and traffic. Ever since, the company has made headlines for everything from its quirky food to its problematic food.

Publication: The Big Scoop (Online)

Date: October 3, 2018

A startup that makes environmentally-friendly packaging for IKEA is planning a big transition into lab-grown meat. Ecovative – which made a name for itself by inking deals with brands like IKEA and Dell to swap styrofoam containers for packaging grown from fungi – now wants to use its mushroom-growing capabilities to become the backbone of the effort to make meat without slaughter.

Publication: Business Insider India (Online)

Date: October 2, 2018

The veggie dogs are available at IKEA’s bistro, which is separate from its restaurant. The line was long — I waited almost 20 minutes to order. The veggie dogs cost $0.75 each, so I got two for $1.50.

Publication: Business Insider India (Online)

Date: October 1, 2018