IKEA, operated by Al-Futtaim, has introduced a refreshed retail experience with its transformed New Market Hall at IKEA Dubai Festival City to create a more personalised customer journey and meet the standards of evolving shopper expectations.
Developed by Al-Futtaim as the first concept of its kind across the global IKEA network, the New Market Hall spans 6,100sqm and has been thoughtfully designed to help customers navigate the store more easily, discover relevant products and find inspiration for every room of the home.
The additions to the Market Hall include immersive home furnishing spaces called Microworlds, walk-through Vitality Gates, positioned at the entrance of each department to create a distinct sense of arrival and immersion and AI-powered Ask IKEA tools designed to bridge physical and digital shopping journeys. IKEA has also designed a Beating Heart space, where customers can engage in workshops and community learning.
“The way people shop for their homes has changed significantly in recent years. Customers are exploring ideas across multiple channels before they visit a store, and they expect that experience to continue seamlessly once they are here,” said Vinod Jayan, Managing Director at Al-Futtaim IKEA UAE, Qatar, Oman and Egypt.
“We have created a more intuitive and engaging journey that helps customers discover products, explore solutions and make confident choices for their homes,” he added.
The strategy behind the New Market Hall
The refreshed shopping experience aims to simultaneously support customer satisfaction and business growth, and is built around how people live and shop today.
“In a fast-paced region, and with the reliance on digital-first shopping, customers face a unique paradox where they are pressed for time, yet they still desire meaningful, hands-on shopping experiences, said Carla Klumpenaar, GM of Marketing, Communications & Interior Design at Al-Futtaim IKEA UAE, Qatar, Oman and Egypt.
She explained that customers today expect the speed of online browsing combined with the tangible, sensory inspiration of a physical store. When it comes to home furnishing, customers also look beyond the product, seeking ideas, guidance, convenience, and a shopping journey that feels relevant to their lives.
“The New Market Hall at IKEA Dubai Festival City addresses this beautifully by making the shopping journey highly intuitive, accessible, and connected,” said Klumpenaar.
“Making these choices accessible is fundamental to our ‘Customer-First Everyday’ approach at Al-Futtaim,” she added.
“When we make the retail journey more enjoyable, practical, and valuable, we strengthen our connection with our customers, encouraging them to return to us as a trusted partner for their everyday lives.”
Creating seamless omnichannel experiences
IKEA’s New Market Hall launch is a recognition of how customers are constantly exploring ideas across multiple digital channels long before they step foot in physical stores, and that they expect that journey to continue seamlessly once they arrive.
“The New Market Hall serves as a powerful physical and digital ecosystem that helps us achieve this by naturally supporting their decisions across every touchpoint,” said Klumpenaar.
These additions also consider how customers can carry their inspiration from their Pinterest boards and AI-generated ideas into tactile and personal home-furnishing solutions.
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“Customers use digital channels to research, but the physical store is where ideas truly become a reality. This continuous refinement of our offerings is how we, at Al-Futtaim, actively Reinvent How We Work to better serve our customers’ evolving needs,” Klumpenaar added.
She explained that customers who browse online still crave the tangible, sensory inspiration that only a physical space can provide. “They want to touch fabrics, feel textures, and see how colours interact in real life,” said Klumpenaar.
Therefore, the New Markethall design aims to answer these consumer needs. The new Vitality Gates make it clear what each section is all about the moment a customer walks in. This immediate physical immersion, paired with on-the-spot digital assistance from the interactive Ask IKEA discovery tools provide a continuous loop of information and inspiration.
By surrounding the customer with curated storytelling in Microworlds and combining it with instant digital validation, IKEA is able to positively shape and simplify purchase decisions across both digital and physical touchpoints.
The launch of the New Market Hall reflects IKEA UAE’s broader ambition to continuously enhance customer experiences through innovation, accessibility and solutions that make everyday life at home better and more relevant for customers across the region.
