By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 24: IKEA Malaysia is bringing a smaller, more compact store concept to Kuching this December after studying how local families use and organise their homes.
According to a press release, the Kuching outlet will be IKEA Malaysia’s first small-format store and its first in East Malaysia, offering customers a more accessible way to experience its home furnishing inspiration, products and expertise closer to home.
Unlike IKEA’s four larger stores currently operating in Malaysia, the Kuching store will bring the same IKEA experience together in a more compact and convenient setting.
Customers will be able to explore room settings and home furnishing solutions, with selected products available to take home on the same day. A wider range of IKEA products will also be available for purchase.
According to IKEA Malaysia, the format is intended to cater to customers looking for anything from small everyday improvements and room planning to furnishing an entire home.
Ahead of the opening, IKEA spent time learning how people in Kuching live, including visiting local households to better understand their everyday needs, challenges and aspirations.
The company found that homes in Kuching are strongly shaped by family, togetherness and hospitality, with living and dining areas often serving multiple purposes, from spending time with family to welcoming extended family and friends.
Organisation and storage were also identified as common challenges in both landed and high-rise homes.
Country Retail Director of IKEA Malaysia Malcolm Pruys said the company wanted customers to recognise aspects of their own lives when they visit IKEA Kuching.
“People in Kuching already know IKEA, but we want them to walk into IKEA Kuching and also recognise something of their own life at home,” he said.
He said the store would offer solutions aimed at helping families create space to gather, organise everyday belongings and make better use of their homes.
“Whether it is making room for family to gather, finding a better way to organise the things we live with every day, or making one space work harder, we want to offer solutions that feel useful, achievable and relevant,” he said.
IKEA Malaysia said the Kuching store was part of its continued effort to make well-designed and functional home furnishing accessible to more people.
The company will also begin engaging with the local community to build its team in Kuching, with a focus on creating opportunities for local talent to grow with IKEA.
IKEA Kuching is expected to open to the public in December 2026, with further details on the store, official opening date and customer experience to be announced in the coming months.
IKEA Malaysia currently operates four omnichannel stores in Malaysia, namely IKEA Damansara, IKEA Cheras, IKEA Tebrau and IKEA Batu Kawan. — DayakDaily
