Kristin Newbigging’s Post

If you want an easy life in Sales - go and work in IKEA This was a comment with a very lighthearted touch over a coffee break from my Professor during University days in 2004, while me and my study mates were exploring different career paths - some of us looking for a future journey in Sales. You can imagine the statement about ”easy life in sales” became a big debate. After almost 20 years later this moment came back to my head while visiting IKEA in Singapore. See, Ikea is a unicorn. A very rare place where you need to search and find your way through to a Sales person to assist you. Any other furniture store the experience is different - You’ll never walk alone. I am pure extrovert, but really enjoy going to Ikea. Eat first and then go through the maze. How do you prefer your Customer experience? Do you like Sales Person to proactively assist and come to you first, or prefer the IKEA-concept more? #customerexperience #ikea

In IKEA, career progression not only happens in the office and could happening outside office. The most important is our plan & action need to be compliance to Eight IKEA Values. 1. Togetherness 2. Caring for people and planet 3. Cost-consciousness, 4. Simplicity, 5. Renew and improve, 6. Different with a meaning, 7. Give and take responsibility, 8. Lead by example.

Seven years ago, almost to the day, I got the chance to join the IKEA world, supporting the opening of two offices. I went on to work beside brilliant project leaders and encouraging managers. And as I did, literally every collegue who crossed my path helped me forward on it, pushing me to grow both personally and professionally. The time I've had, the people I've met, the values I've lived, the culture I've been part of creating, the go-get-it attitude that's driven us on through highs and lows...the impact of all that is without measure and is something I will carry with me every day. But I will be carrying it outside the walls of the big blue box now. A recent reorganisation meant my role would no longer exist. While other interesting opportunities popped up (and many encouraging voices urged me along in different directions), I made a decision to do something different: stop. Stopping is not quitting. It's not doing nothing. It's not going backwards. It's simply pausing, like you would on any journey, to look at your map, see where you are, check if you're still going where you want to. I'm going to take this time to recalibrate, dig deeper into my passions, feed my strengths and interests, and develop myself and my abilities in new ways — maybe taking me off the path I've been on so far. Leaving IKEA is sad. But I hope that leaving one thing I love will bring me closer to something else I love: my sense of self, my inner fire, my own ambition and drive. My goal is to become clear on — and move closer to — who I am, what I want, and where I want to be in the future. Big ambitions, you might say, but if I put one foot in front of the other I know I will get there. I simply need to start. To IKEA, maybe this is only a goodbye for now, and not forever. Either way, I predict a glorious future!

Is Ikea back and we just missed something? Usually as recruiters we know way in advance when a company is entering the market as staff have to be found, trained and inducted etc... I still remember when we were starting up a big French retailer who wanted to head hunt staff from another big French retailer. They were so much competitors that our client required a written documents proofing how much the candidate was really earning as they were afraid that their competitor just wanted to send them some spies into their organisation... Looking at how dynamically retail is now developing in Central Asia I can see many parallels from earlier projects in other parts of the world. For example the understanding of a store manager over here is completly different to the shop manager in for example Aldi in Germany who is able to serve you at the till as well as receive and unpack goods as well as do the accounting of the store. If you are ready to relocate for junior and mid level positions like sales manager, store manager or category manager we would like to hear from you. mg@antal.com Antal International PS: I am afraid there is no Ikea store in Central Asia yet, that we are aware of, however the advertising is real! In particular my wife misses Ikea a lot...

Celebrating 20 years in IKEA today 💙💛 25 August 2003 - 25 August 2023 💙💛🥳 I remember the day I decided I wanted to work for IKEA - way before it came true. ☎️One day the phone rang, and after many interviews Pedro Cano told me to join his team. Thank you for being one of the many colleagues who helped me grow. ❤️My “why’’ is as strong as it was when I started: to create a better everyday life for the many people. It has been a very fulfilling journey and it’s definitely more than a job, it’s also home. Like the homes #ikea creates each day. 👩🏻💻I love all parts of my job, but my absolute favourite is the PEOPLE. These 20 years have been a blast because of all memories we share: all the store openings, the catalogue events, opening factories and shopping centres, many interviews (who’s counting 😎), all the kickoffs, all the parties, all the successful projects and also when we failed, all the media trips, all the laughing, all the hugs, all the challenges we have overcome, all the learnings, the dilemmas 🤯, the good times, the hard times, the W46 nights, all the Teams meetings 😫, and all the moments when we didn’t know how to do it, but still did it. Here’s to 20 years more 🚀🚀 let’s do this! #ilovemyjob #peoplefirst #servantleadership #IKEA

It's been 6 months since I joined IKEA (though it feels like 6 years!) and it's been quite an amazing journey. I have not been posting anything around here since my focus has been entirely on observing, listening and learning from such an amazing pool of people that conform this org, from front-line coworkers to disruptive explorers, they all share that passion and commitment to build a greater life for the many. I promise I'll start sharing more soon about my latest endeavor, the Global eXperience Lab, but this time I want to share the Life at Home Report 2023, which summarizes a decade of learning and continuous discovery of how the human's most valuable place has been evolving, the tensions it faces and the forces that might reshape it for the future. You can find the full report and data here: https://lnkd.in/dbc3hh-P 🏠 💚 IKEA #Lifeathome #futurethinking #research

“The IKEA Effect: Why we (over)value what we help create and how this can be used as motivation for our careers, our customers, and our companies” See how this works: https://lnkd.in/gaKYX-7a #marketingstrategy #businessstrategy #BusinessNews Medium

In #UAE retail, store managers’ biggest asset is their multicultural store team.🌍 Working with team members from different nations is super fun. 😄 Unless there is good synchronization among everyone. 🤝 While so many stores are thriving because the multicultural team is their biggest strength, there are some stores where the environment is disastrous. 😢 I have seen some store teams where staff are not collaborating with each other but tolerating each other. 😔 So what should a store manager do to bring their team closer despite all the cultural differences? 🤔 I don’t want to use fancy words like ‘Diversity and Inclusion’ and make this sound complex to you. I will share three simple and highly impactful steps. Store managers should do these three things at their store to build a high-performance multicultural store team: 1️⃣ Establish a Common Vision: Create a shared vision that resonates with everyone. 🎯 A vision could be as simple as ‘We want to be the best shoe store in the mall that offers the right product to the right customer.’ 2️⃣ Set Unified Goals: Define clear and common goals that everyone can work towards. 📈 A goal could be as simple as ‘We will make the day for at least 100 customers this month by offering them a highly personalized service that they will never forget’. 3️⃣ Foster a Shared Dream: Encourage team members to contribute to a collective dream. 🌟 A dream could be as bold as ‘Our dream is to bring our families to UAE on holiday, and we will help each other fulfill our dream.' Look around you, and you'll see this principle in action: ✅ Despite wars, nations unite to achieve global goals like climate change mitigation. ✅ Sports teams with players from various backgrounds unite to win championships. ✅ International organizations collaborate across cultures to address global challenges. When they can do it, why can’t we? Diversity and inclusion happen when a group of people comes together to achieve something in common. This is how people stick to each other despite differences. ❤️ It's how the world functions and how your store can thrive. We live in a beautiful country with beautiful people; let's get the best out of each other. 🤜🏼 🤛🏼 Hit a like if you are a store manager who aspires to bring your store team together and wants to reach new heights in your career and life.👍 #retailmanagement #storeculture #diversityandinclusion #retailindustry

🌍 Culture plays a pivotal role in shaping marketing campaign success. Let's explore two real stories that highlight the impact of culture in marketing campaigns.Nike's Kaepernick Campaign: 🏈 Nike's "Believe in Something" campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick was a bold move. By aligning with the former NFL quarterback, who championed social justice, Nike tapped into a cultural movement. The campaign sparked support and controversy but ultimately paid off in terms of brand engagement and sales. ✔️📈 IKEA in Saudi Arabia: 🏠 IKEA's global success hit a hurdle in Saudi Arabia when they airbrushed women out of catalog photos. This clashed with Saudi cultural norms and values, leading to backlash. IKEA learned the importance of cultural sensitivity and later included women in their marketing materials. ✔️✅ Conclusion: 🌍 These stories emphasize that understanding and respecting cultural nuances can make or break marketing campaigns. Marketers must be culturally aware and adaptable to succeed in the diverse global market. 🚀📊 #GlobalMarketing #CulturalAwareness #MarketingStrategies

Discover IKEA's strategic move into the South American market, marking its first foray in Chile with a robust partnership with Falabella. This strategic collaboration not only establishes IKEA's footprint but also exemplifies successful market entry through cultural adaptation and local partnership. Swipe through our carousel to see how IKEA is crafting new opportunities and contributing to local economies with 823 new jobs in Chile alone. Whether you're looking to expand your business or curious about global market trends, our report provides the insights you need to navigate the complexities of international expansion. Unlock the full insights for free and get inspired to take your business to new heights! 📈👉 Download Now https://lnkd.in/em78s_Yc #GlobalExpansion #MarketEntry #IKEA