Ingka Centres kicks off 2022 with the launch of its seventh meeting place in China
24 January 2022 - Ingka Centres, part of the Ingka Group (which also includes IKEA Retail and Ingka Investments), continues to accelerate its expansion in China after revealing plans for Livat Kunming, a new meeting place in Kunming, capital of Yunnan province, China. The new meeting place, which is the company’s seventh in China, has been created seamlessly within the existing IKEA store, providing 46,500sqm GLA space. Livat Kunming adapts traditional Scandinavian design values to create a light, modern, simple and functional space with elements from local heritage and culture seamlessly weaved in. The new destination will create an exciting blend of cuisine, digital services, and family-friendly experiences, providing not only a place for people to shop, but one which will also have a positive impact on the area’s nearby workers, residents and visitors. The opening of Livat Kunming will also create around 3,000 jobs, providing a number of employment opportunities for the local community.
Surrounded by a number of developed residential communities and several office buildings, Livat Kunming houses a range of local and global brands including Tesla, MLB and Huawei. Responding to consumers' needs for a more diversified dining experience, more than 40% of the tenant mix in the new meeting place are cafes and restaurants catering local consumers’ pursuit of a diversified dining experience. Livat Kunming offers seamless omnichannel experiences for customers and brands giving them the opportunity to connect through the ‘WeChat mini’ programme.
Known as the ‘City of Eternal Spring’, Kunming is renowned for its favourable climate and outstanding ecological development. Ingka Centres will look to reflect this at Livat Kunming, working closely alongside IKEA, its tenants and partners to inspire the local community to live healthier and more sustainable lifestyles.
Cindy Andersen, Ingka Centres’ Managing Director commented: “We’re delighted to begin the year with the launch of our seventh meeting place in China and I'd like to congratulate the team for the dedication and passion that they have put into their work on this project. “Livat Kunming is a fantastic example of how we’re creating meeting places across the world which are tailor made to suit the needs of individual communities, in all shapes and sizes.. This new retail-led destination brings an inspiring blend of local and global brands, with a focus on creating exceptional dining experiences, reflecting the needs and aspirations of residents and visitors. China remains a key market for us, and we’re extremely excited to grow our presence here, as we continue to roll-out our meeting place concept both across the country and the world throughout 2022 and beyond.”
The opening of Livat Kunming follows the successful openings of three new meeting places in China last year, including Livat Nanning, Changsha and Fuzhou.