The catalog app is part of a broader marketing initiative from the company to cater to tech-savvy consumers.  In addition to the catalog app, IKEA is piloting a shopping app in three markets that lets consumers browse products, check stock availability and pick up items in-store.

“With the addition of the extended content, we are looking to enhance the experience our customers have with our catalogue. While the printed version continues to be the cornerstone of our global marketing strategy, we want our customers to be able to interact with our catalogue and experience our products in a unique and creative way,” said Madeleine Löwenborg-Frick, public relations manager at IKEA Canada, Burlington, ON.

“We recognize that smartphones are changing consumer behaviour, and our customers are increasingly relying on their mobile phones to get the information they need,” she said.

Mobile inspiration
The catalog app is available for iPad, iPhone and Android devices.

With the app, consumers can hold their device over a page in the catalog to unlock additional content such as videos, images and 3D models of IKEA’s products.

For example, users can switch the color of a curtain or get a behind-the-scenes peek at rooms.

Pages that are equipped for mobile are indicated with a symbol of a smartphone in the top right-hand corner.

The app is not commerce-enabled. Instead, the goal behind it is to help inspire consumers with their own home decorations.

In addition to mobile, social media also plays a large role in IKEA’s fall catalog. IKEA Canada is using Pinterest to display its fall products, which users can repin for a chance at winning prizes such as gift cards.

Consumers can swipe through IKEA products

Construct on mobile
IKEA has been ramping up its mobile strategy recently.

IKEA claims that mobile made up ten percent of its traffic in March 2012, representing a 250 year-over-year increase.

In May, IKEA Canada began piloting a shopping app that lets consumers create shopping lists, find nearby stores to check product availability and schedule in-store pick-ups (see story).

The home furnishing retailer also recently rolled out a mobile site.

IKEA is spreading the word about both its catalog and shopping app via social media, public relations and with calls-to-action in the catalog and online.

IKEA also regularly uses mobile advertising to help promote both seasonal events as well as to drive downloads of its app.

Most recently, IKEA ran a back-to-school ad campaign that helped parents and students gear up for school supplies (see story).

“We know that our customers are strapped for time and are looking for ways to streamline their lives and simplify their shopping experience,” Ms. Löwenborg-Frick said.

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is associate reporter on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York