Seven out of 10 Indians have a positive outlook about their life at home, Ikea survey

New Delhi: Hinting at a positive demand scenario for home furnishing solutions, a survey by Swedish major Ikea has found that seven of ten Indians are optimistic about their 'life at home' over the next two years. According to the 10th Life at Home report by the Swedish furniture retailer Ikea, 71 per cent of Indians hold a positive outlook for the next two years, significantly surpassing the global average of 47 per cent. The survey findings, Ikea says, help it develop home furnishing solutions that suit people's needs, wants, and dreams. Ikea in its latest edition of 'life at home', has found for 50 per cent of Indians, home is their favourite place to be The report also adds that 56 per cent of Indians are planning to move in the next two years, and an additional 18 per cent are planning to stay in their current home but renovate.

Ikea India CEO and CSO (Chief Sustainability Officer) Susanne Pulverer said though there have been common threads in experiences and aspirations for a better life at home globally, Indian households are unique in many ways. For instance, 63 per cent of Indians feel positive about their current life at home, slightly above the global average of 60 per cent,” she said. “Globally, the sentiment towards current and future life at home is predominantly positive, with Indians showing higher levels of optimism,” Pulverer told.

The report is a culmination of findings from extensive research as well as insights from nine previous editions, 2014–2022. These insights help IKEA create a better everyday life for many people and develop home furnishing solutions that suit their needs, wants, and dreams, she added. “Some interesting insights that we found were that for 50 per cent Indians, home is their favourite place to be… We also observed that pets contribute to making home a happy place for many Indians. 27 per cent pet owners shared that having a pet is a factor that helps them feel secure at home,” Pulverer said. She said health and wellness also continue to be a priority for the many people in India. “For Indians, 34 per cent prioritise their own physical health, 29 per cent prioritize their mental well-being, and 30 per cent focus on the health of people around them as well,” she added.

Pulverer said 33 per cent of Indians also shared that sleeping is of top importance for nurturing at home while 23 per cent revealed that a nap brings them the most joy in their life at home. “At IKEA, we have a strong focus on sleep solutions, as sleep is a key ingredient that enables us to do all the things we want to do in our lives. We are taking small steps to help our consumers adopt better sleep habits through our wide range of beds, mattresses, and sleep accessories,” she said. On the effect of the COVID pandemic on how people see their homes, Pulverer said the Life at Home study revealed that 78 per cent felt that home was their sanctuary. Pulverer said the pandemic-induced shift to remote work continued to influence Indian homes, with the most recent IKEA Life at Home report revealing that 29 per cent of Indians still sometimes work from home. “This trend has led to homes evolving into multifunctional spaces, balancing professional and personal lives,” she said.

The report is based on sample collected from 38 countries, for which a total of 37,428 interviews were done. For India, 1,013 interviews were collected. IKea, part of Ingka group, opened its first store in India at Hyderabad in August 2018. It is currently also operating stores at Mumbai and Bengaluru and is investing around Rs 7,000 crore to enter the National Capital Region with two stores in Gurugram and Noida. The company is in India for the long term, and they will continue to focus on their “omnichannel expansion” in the country, said Pulverer. “We have recently announced our e-commerce expansion in 62 districts across four states in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. Our next big expansion will be Delhi NCR with an e-commerce presence in 2025 followed by an integrated IKEA store with the Ingka Centres project in Gurugram,” she said.