Ikea wants to boost production across the US and the Americas, as it responds to escalating shipping disruption and a “permanent shift” away from seamless global trade.
Susanne Waidzunas, global supply manager at Inter Ikea, said the company that oversees the Swedish retail brand’s international strategy was considering the move as it also battles with the fallout from the Houthi militant group’s attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
“One of the markets where we have less regional presence when it comes to production footprint is North America,” she said in an interview. “There we do have extra efforts put into reviewing how we could increase our footprint . . . We see a lot of opportunities in South and Central America. But we also see opportunities in the US.”