Ikea on Amazon? Swedish firm to test sales in online stores

Ikea will start selling furniture through third-party websites to find new ways to reach customers in the digital age, though "no decisions are made regarding what platforms/markets will be in the pilot."

Kaisa Lyckdal, spokeswoman for the Swedish home furnishing giant, says the aim is to start a trial in 2018 and that Ikea is "curious" as to how to broaden its sales base.

Lyckdal said Tuesday in an email to The Associated Press that Ikea would "develop it over the coming years."

However, Ikea's main focus "remains of course with our existing sales channels," including its own web sites and stores.

The group says 2.3 billion people globally visited Ikea sites in 2017.

Headquartered fiscally in Leiden, the Netherlands, Ikea has more than 400 stores in 49 countries.