IKEA Home for pets and pet parents

Launch of new pet category

With the further humanisation of pets and their integration into pet owner lives, IKEA, the global brand with 400+ stores all over the world and an annual turnover of €38 billion ($47 billion), is now also entering the pet market. To get a better understanding of their ambitions in the pet segment, PETS International arranged an interview with Peter Bondesson, project leader at IKEA of the pet category.

Why are you launching a pet category in your stores? 

Bondesson: “Research that we conducted clearly showed an increasing tendency for pet owners to regard their pets as fully-fledged family members. Pet owners are purchasing more and more luxurious and smart products for their much loved four-footed ‘sons and daughters’.”

What kind of products will you be featuring?

Bondesson: “The mission of IKEA is to offer products that make everyday life easier and more meaningful. The IKEA pet product range has been developed according to the natural needs and behaviours of pets. 

Of course, we consulted pet owners as to how we could make their life and that of their pets that bit more fun and easy. We also involved veterinarians in the whole design process. 

Even as with all the other IKEA products also the pet products do meet the legal demands and requirements. Beside that we made sure our pet range meets important criteria  for the well being of the pet. All products were thoroughly tested by pet owners.” 

When will IKEA launch its pet category? 

Bondesson: “At the end of 2017, we already rolled out the pet category in five countries: the US, Japan, France, Canada and Portugal. The initial results in these pilot countries have been extremely positive. Consumer demand per country is pretty much the same. It is what we had expected: our pet category is based on the basic functions of dogs and cats. Pets eat, sleep, walk and travel almost in the same way the world over.”  

Competition is fierce in this category. How will IKEA stand out? 

Bondesson: “It is our belief – and always has been –
that well-designed and affordable products that make life easier sell best. Our approach in the pet category is no different. We will stand out from the competition thanks to our excellent, proven product mix that combines form, function, quality, sustainability and low price. Our pet products will also be available online in a number of countries.”

Sustainable products

Sustainability is one of IKEA’s important strategic focus points. After all, homes and the way people live have huge impact on health and wellbeing. And on the planet. Households are responsible one-third of global energy consumption and use up one-tenth of the total volume of water. IKEA aims to become a circular company in the near future. So, for them it has been a natural choice to make sure their pet products also are sustainable.

In 2017, the company used no less than 145,000 metric tonnes of cotton. Obviously, there has been much to do about cotton. It is why they source 100% of their cotton from sources defined as more sustainable, for instance cotton that complies with the Better Cotton Standard. As for wool: IKEA respects animal welfare standards and complies with the so-called Responsible Wool Standard. In this way the company ensures a fully transparent and compliant value chain.

IKEA requires their suppliers to meet the same highest sustainability standards. To measure their performance in this area the company uses the Supplier Sustainability Index. This index also gives insights into how they can make improvements together. IKEA works with a limited number of suppliers who meet the set requirements. As for t

he pet products range, the company works mostly with existing suppliers. Only for the leashes and harnesses, they have turned to new suppliers already active in the pet industry.