Having suffered less than expected during the crisis linked to the new coronavirus, Ikea announced on Tuesday that it would reimburse all of the public aid received in eight European countries and in the United States during the health crisis, without revealing the amount. "Ikea is in contact with the governments of nine countries (Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Ireland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain and the United States) regarding the reimbursement of the government assistance we have received to cover salaries of our colleagues at the height of the pandemic, "said a spokesperson for Ingka Group, the number one furniture franchise in the world.
"Although no one knows how things will develop, we now have a better understanding of the effects of the crisis on our business and have therefore decided to reimburse" the amounts received, "continued Tolga Öncu, head of distribution operations. Several of the affected countries have already received the money, Ingka said, without identifying them or specifying the amounts involved. The group said it would not release the total amount collected.
Stronger demand "than expected"
Tolga Öncu had explained that he had accepted this money so that the group could "ensure as much livelihood as possible, as long as possible". Initially, Ingka expected a 70 to 80% drop in demand. But with the reopening of stores, the group "is experiencing greater demand than expected for furnishings," said the manager.
"Only 10% of turnover was lost, even before the reopening of stores in the United States, the United Kingdom and Russia," noted Ingka on June 11. In March 2020, some 300 Ikea stores were closed worldwide out of 380, according to figures communicated by the group. Since then, most of them have reopened and only 16 of the brand's stores are still closed today.
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