IKEA Thailand has teamed up with Wirecard to enable payments for its first online store.
Wirecard ensures smooth digital payment transactions, enables customers to conveniently order and pay for their purchases, and have them either delivered or collect them at IKEA stores.
“With the opening of our online store in Thailand, we are bringing affordable, beautiful home furnishing solutions to people in all corners of the country,” said Koen Besteman, head of e-Commerce at IKEA Southeast Asia.
“Now, people who live hundreds of kilometres from our big, blue-box stores in Bangkok can find inspiration on our website, shop for any of the 8,000-plus products in our range, order, pay and arrange for delivery,” said Besteman.
The teamup is a result of a partnership between Wirecard and Ikano, owner and operator of IKEA stores in Southeast Asia.
With Wirecard’s business expansion into the Thai market, merchants can launch their e-commerce business that connects to the Wirecard platform, while providing a seamless and fuss-free payment experience for consumers.
In addition to Thailand, Wirecard already provides digital payments services for IKEA online stores in Singapore and Malaysia.
Jeffry Ho, regional managing director at Wirecard, said that as innovation and technology change customers’ expectations and shape the way people shop, it is crucial for businesses to transform to meet the needs of the new generation of tech-savvy shoppers.
“IKEA Thailand has reacted to this demand, and we are proud to be their digital payment partner of choice,” said Ho. “Through this cooperation, we are bringing our Unified Commerce shopping experience to even more customers worldwide.”
There are currently 39.8 million e-commerce users in Thailand and the number is expected to increase to 45.3 million by 2022.
A sharp increase in the overall number of internet users, along with the spread of e-commerce platforms and improved delivery logistics, have led to an e-commerce boom in the Southeast Asian country.
In 2018, total e-commerce revenue in Thailand amounted to about $3.3 billion, with the top three purchase categories being electronics and media, fashion, and furniture and appliances.
