Ikea is introducing a new spring housewares collection while offering expanded furniture assembly with Taskrabbit at a time of year when consumers often consider refreshing their homes.
Ikea describes Tjärlek (pictured above) as a collection that embodies spring with its bright palette, hand-painted patterns and lively shapes across a range of product categories, including tableware, glassware and textiles. Ikea worked with designers to create a collection that brings the colors and shapes of spring into the home. For example, bowls, plates and silicone baking cups take on the shape of blooms. Egg cups come in abstract rabbit forms, as does a larger bowl, both with caps that project bunny ear-style embellishments. And plaid placements are bright with yellow as a dominant component of the overall color scheme and a pattern that has a country sensibility. Stem glasses in sets of four come in subtle shades with a seasonal flare, such as a light purple, suggesting the color of Easter candy. New vases take on similar but somewhat more saturated tones.
Product price points range from $1.99 for a pack of paper napkins with a richly colored bubble pattern to $14.99 for a rabbit ear bowl.
Meanwhile, Ikea and Taskrabbit, which the retailer acquired in 2017, are providing a new customer service that enables shoppers to book and pay for their furniture assembly tasks when they purchase goods. Every major metro area in the United States with an IKEA store has access to the service, which is also available nationwide in Canada, Spain and the United Kingdom.
Previously, Ikea customers could receive a furniture assembly quote through the retailer’s website while purchasing furniture, but booking and paying for the assembly service required a separate step on Taskrabbit’s platform. Now, Ikea customers can arrange for assembly by Taskrabbit-vetted independent contractors at an up-front, transparent price directly at checkout when finalizing their Ikea orders.
According to Taskrabbit, 50% more Ikea customers are adding assembly to their purchase through the new booking method than was previously the case. Additionally, after introducing the new integration, the average order value for purchases, including assembly, has increased by 4.7 times and has resulted in an almost 40% reduction in the returns suffered by Ikea on some of its most complex furniture items, according to the retailer.
“We’re excited to bring Taskrabbit’s assembly service to more IKEA locations, offering customers a reliable, hassle-free solution that enhances their overall shopping experience,” said Ania Smith, Taskrabbit CEO. “Longer term, our goal is to scale our offering to additional retailers to provide scalable, high-quality services that surpass customer expectations and drive meaningful value to our partners.”
