Business & Money | Monday 27 February, 2017 11:00 am |

Ghassan Ahmed Al Sulaiman Furniture Trading Co. Ltd, IKEA Saudi Arabia, the leading home furnishings retailer in the Kingdom, has been ranked for the second consecutive year as number one Retailer in Saudi Arabia on Brand Buzz according to the 2016 BestBrand Rankings launched by global market research company YouGov. The 2016 annual BestBrand Rankings, which launched across 24 countries globally, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, are compiled using the Buzz score from YouGov’s daily flagship brand tracker, BrandIndex. BrandIndex is the measure of brand perception and continuously measures public perception of thousands of brands across the globe. Faisal Al Gain, Country Marketing Manager of IKEA Saudi Arabia, said: “We are very pleased that consumers have recognized all the buzz that we generated over the last year and we are truly proud to be ranked as number one Retailer in Saudi Arabia by YouGov BrandIndex. This recognition stands as a testament for our dedication to the highest standards of quality.” “Very few brands have achieved the iconic status or the remarkably high level of customer loyalty that IKEA enjoys around the world as it is synonymous with inspirational designs, massive range, accessibility and affordability. With a promise of creating a better everyday life for the many people, everything IKEA does is driven by the needs and dreams of real people, and we know that all the products bought at IKEA have found happy homes.” He added. IKEA Saudi Arabia, quickly catapulted itself to leadership position after the first store opened in 1983. Over the last thirty years, customers in the Kingdom vouched for the value, functionality, and eco-friendliness of IKEA’s products. But the chief factor that drives popularity – and loyalty – is the omnipresence of the brand, where it is accessible and available to everyone, and at different touch points. In line with making itself more accessible and available to customers, IKEA Saudi Arabia has embarked upon ambitious expansion plans for the next few years to increase its footprint both locally and regionally. In fact, last September marked the launch of the e-commerce platform as part of the omni-channel experience, thus allowing IKEA’s customers to shop online at any given time and anywhere in the Kingdom. They are also working towards opening a new store in Al Salaam Mall later this year, in addition to plans to open the first Order and Collection Points (OCP) in the Kingdom, at Kharj and Qaseem. “Saudi Arabia’s best brands for 2016 have combined technological innovation and campaigns for social responsibility to buoy public perception over the year.” said Scott Booth, Head of Data Products MENA at YouGov “Brands that not only adopt communications meaningful to citizens of the Kingdom, but also adopt and promote behaviors and products that improve the lives of Saudis are consistently winning public appeal.”