Daily Reports
Jysk's Ambitious Expansion in France
Denmark-based Jysk is making significant strides in France's furniture market, aiming to become a prominent player in a sector traditionally dominated by IKEA. Founded in 2007, Jysk has already opened 74 stores in the country, with its latest branches inaugurated in Denain in the North and Saint-Maur in Indre. The brand has ambitious plans to further solidify its presence by opening 500 stores in France.
Unique Market Positioning
Unlike IKEA, which caters to large cities, Jysk focuses on suburban areas of medium-sized towns. The retailer prides itself on 'human-sized stores' with a surface area of around 1,000 m². The firm's strategy includes a strong emphasis on bedding products, selling popular brands such as Emma and Dodo, and training its salespeople to become 'bedding experts.' The company is also revamping its stores to its '3.0 concept,' ensuring a modern and customer-friendly shopping experience.
Challenges in a Struggling Market
The timing of Jysk's expansion comes amid challenging conditions for the furniture and decoration market, which has seen an 8% decline in activity as reported by the Institute for Prospective and Furnishing Studies (IPEA). Despite this downturn, Jysk is hopeful about its future, especially as competitors like Habitat and Made.com face financial difficulties. The firm is also leveraging online sales and 'click and collect' services to enhance customer convenience. Jysk's strategic focus on affordable, high-quality products and local store presence aims to capture a unique segment of the market.
- The Jysk group operates over 3,200 stores across 48 countries, mostly in Europe. The company's strategy of setting up stores in the suburbs of medium-sized towns aligns with its vision of providing accessible and human-sized retail experiences.
- Jysk also aims to renovate its existing stores within the next three years while continuing to expand its reach. The firm is optimistic that the local proximity of its stores will appeal to French consumers who value convenience.
- Jysk's choice to communicate and advertise in France relatively late is a strategic move. As the brand's presence becomes more established, its goal is to woo French consumers through quality and convenience, thus standing apart from giants like Amazon and IKEA.
- The company has grown considerably since its first store opened in 1979 in Denmark. Owned by the Lars Larsen group, Jysk has almost 1,000 stores in Germany and has also expanded into Spain and Portugal.
