CHILE - The very first Ikea store in South America opened in Santiago de Chile on 10 August. On top of opening a new store, Ikea Chile also went live with online shopping, a distribution center and pick-up points making Ikea accessible for the many people in continental Chile.

A second store is planned to open in the near future, also in Santiago. Falabella, the newest member to the Ikea franchise family, will lead the expansion in South America, with Colombia and Peru standing in line to be entered.

Thousands of people gathered outside a shopping mall in the Chilean capital for last Wednesday's opening of Ikea's first store in South America.

“This is a historic and special day for us, as we open the very first Ikea store on the South American continent. I’m grateful for all the hard work and effort of all people involved in making this happen. The Ikea vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people and with the opening of the first store, together with the online shopping possibilities with local pick-up points, we’re honouring that vision in Chile”, says Jon Abrahamsson-Ring, CEO of Inter Ikea  Group.

“We are very excited to bring the Ikea  Concept to South America, starting in Chile. After a long time of preparations, we are now finally able to offer the Ikea  Range of well-designed, high-quality home furnishing, produced with care for people and the environment to the many people in the country. Falabella brings a lot of experience in developing and successfully operating retail businesses, and together we are determined to make Ikea  beloved and meaningful among the customers and the society”, says Maria Johansson, Ikea  Expansion Manager, Inter Ikea  Systems B.V.

Expanding into South America is a special event for Ikea , not only for entering a new continent but also doing it with a new franchise, Falabella, a well-established retailer in the Americas.

“We are proud to make Ikea , one of the most admired and successful brands worldwide, available to our customers. Thanks to its unique mix of well-designed, affordable home improvement products, we will continue to develop Falabella's physical and digital ecosystem and help people simplify and enjoy their lives more", says Gaston Bottazzini, CEO of Falabella.