IKEA Malaysia revealed that it has introduced a soft launch for its ecommerce shopping platform, adopting a customer based effort for allowing the development team to test the system and collect feedback, before it carries out a full deployment of the online store. The company aims to offer its users a unified and satisfactory buying experience after the full website is launched.

Further commenting on the launch, IKEA Malaysia assured that any purchases made on the e-commerce platform during the testing stage will be delivered by IKEA. The company, which is working with Text100 in Malaysia, did not disclose the website launch date but informed that it will be shared in an official company announcement later.

According to records, last year IKEA had launched its e-commerce store in Singapore which displayed the same inventory of 7,000 products as exhibited in the physical stores, at the same prices. A source at IKEA Singapore had admitted that the company had entered into the e-commerce domain quite late as compared to other retailers, but explained the delay citing the need for refining its process to offer a superior platform for customers. Before that, IKEA had introduced a pilot e-commerce program in Shanghai, which was restricted to delivering items only in Shanghai.

Speaking of the expansion endeavors undertaken by the Swedish furniture & lifestyle brand, IKEA Southeast Asia is reportedly developing the Toppen Shopping Center in Malaysia, which will feature the first IKEA store in the country outside of Klang Valley. The center will benefit from the incorporation of IKEA Tebrau and AEON Tebrau, providing multiple facilities such as retail, sporting, entertainment and dining. Sources close to the project stated that 10% of overall retail sales for the new shopping center is estimated to come from cross border shopping and visits by tourists.

A spokesperson at IKEA was quoted saying that through the Toppen Shopping Center, IKEA wants to create a single destination for all family-friendly amenities including a community garden, a multi-purpose piazza, sporting facilities and space to organize community events.