In Conversation: IKEA Singapore on why awareness must be earned, consistently

For IKEA Singapore’s recently appointed country retail director and chief sustainability officer, Michael la Cour, strong brand recognition is not something retailers can afford to take for granted, even for globally recognised brands such as IKEA.

Speaking on Marketing Connected's "In conversation" series, la Cour said the challenge today is not just awareness, but continuing to “deserve” it.

“The awareness is so high, and it is high in Singapore, but it kind of commits in a way,” he said.

We need to consistently deserve that awareness, so it’s a consistent focus of ours to become or stay relevant for customers in Singapore.

According to la Cour, IKEA Singapore sees about 8.5 million visitors annually across its stores, making the retailer deeply embedded in many Singaporeans’ lives and upbringing. However, evolving consumer expectations and intensifying eCommerce competition are reshaping how retailers connect with audiences.

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Catch the full interview here: 

“The relationship with customers is an ongoing relationship,” he said. “It comes with the range, how we meet customers, and how we interact with them. That’s what really creates a brand.”

Despite rapid online growth, la Cour believes physical retail experiences remain critical, particularly in the home furnishing category. “There’s no doubt we will play in both areas,” he said of online and brick-and-mortar retail. “People tend to want to go to the store when it’s about a sofa, a kitchen or wardrobes. You need to feel it, you need to see it.”

Although IKEA is currently testing the use of these eCommerce marketplaces in China and several other markets, la Cour explained that the brand is still undecided on their effectiveness.

“We can’t carry everything. But do we see them as competition? I’d say we usually focus on ourselves. The focus is on ensuring that you always think about IKEA first. If we do the range well enough, if we do the presentation well enough, and if we can inspire you well enough, then I’m happy,” he said.

At the same time, IKEA Singapore is increasingly exploring experiential retail formats to attract younger consumers seeking more immersive interactions with brands. Referencing initiatives such as IKEA Malaysia’s house party concept and past in-store sleepovers globally, la Cour described IKEA stores as “the original social media”.

“It was where people met,” he said. “Nowadays it can be many other places online, but the stores are our medium to bring people together.”

Looking ahead, la Cour said IKEA Singapore will continue expanding how it reaches customers through smaller city-store formats, home design services and more customer touchpoints across the island. “We’ll explore a lot of different avenues over the next few years,” he said. “We hope to be a continuous part of the Singapore story that we’ve been since we opened our first store here.”

Also tune in to the full conversation on Spotify:

Tune into the rest of this conversation on your favourite podcast platforms, by searching up Marketing Connected. For all the visual people out there, we’ve got your back as well, with our vodcasts on YouTube.


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