Almería, (EFE).- Ikea will invest 300 million euros in Spain between 2023 and 2025, of which 116 million euros will go to Andalusia, as announced on Wednesday by the CEO of the Swedish multinational Ikea in Spain, Nurettin Acar.
“We have big plans for Spain and the heart of that plan is Andalusia. Step by step, we are developing this planning”, he stated during his speech at the inauguration of the new Ikea store in Almería, the first in this Andalusian province.
As Acar added, so far this year 250 people have joined the Ikea staff, which already has 2,000 employees in Andalusia. The company forecasts include the incorporation into the country of 1,500 workers by 2025.
Ikea, neighbors and citizens
Acar recalled how the first meetings were in which it was decided to put the Ikea “flag” in Almería. “We took a flight to Lanzarote. We knew where we wanted to go, but not how to get there, ”he jokingly recalled his first visit to this province.
He has also asserted that where Ikea arrives, it does not do so only to generate business, but also to be “good neighbors and citizens”, with a commitment to sustainability and attention to the needs of the city.
For her part, the director of the Almería store, Mónica Martín, explained to EFE that this establishment “has almost 15,000 m2, of which 7,900 are commercial”. “We have 5,000 references. We have trained a team of 150 people”, she adds.
Of this workforce, 80% are from Almería, and a “gender balance” has been achieved, so that half of the employees are men and the other half are women, with 5% directly recruiting people with disabilities.
“The store has a unique format, a format with a lot of innovation in finding spaces like a terrace that reflects light and in the climate of Almería. We have a ‘Swedish Deli’, which is a reflection of Swedish culture, our gastronomy and where we want to create a service space. We have a central planning area that can be visited throughout the store”, he says.
The opening
Prior to the official opening, the day started with an institutional breakfast that was attended by Aránzazu Martín, delegate of the Junta de Andalucía in Almería; José María Martín, subdelegate of the Government, and Ana Martínez Labella, first deputy mayor and councilor for the Presidency, Planning and European Projects of the Almería City Council.
Although Ikea has opened its doors at ten in the morning, residents of Almería have been queuing since one in the morning to access the store. A wait that has been rewarded, since the first client has obtained a gift voucher of 500 euros, and the next three others of 100 euros.
It has been the Ikea employees themselves who have received them with applause, shouts of joy and confetti to the rhythm of a Jazz band that will be livening up the store experience throughout today.
There are also other online cashier surprises such as the draw every hour, today and tomorrow, for checks of 300 euros, up to a maximum of 3,000 euros each day. In total, close to 12,000 euros in gifts to welcome the first people from Almería. EFE