Within the commercial zone developed by Tanger Med Zones
Consolidation.
This MAD 400 million site is one of IKEA’s most modern and the first to roll out the brand’s new concept, including new exhibition, planning and catering spaces.
IKEA wants to consolidate its presence in Morocco. Thus and after the opening of its first Zenata store in Casablanca, the leader in furnishing and decoration solutions has just inaugurated, on Tuesday February 14, IKEA Cabo, within the commercial zone developed by Tanger Med Zones, located on the road between Tetouan and Mdiq, more precisely near Cabo Negro.
Chaired by Marino Maganto, General Manager of IKEA Morocco, Kuwait and Jordan and CEO of SYH Morocco, this inaugural ceremony was distinguished by a guided visit to this second department store in Morocco, considered, according to the organizers, as the one of the most modern of the brand in the world, first to deploy the new IKEA store concept including new exhibition, planning and catering spaces. “We are proud to present today an IKEA experience that we hope will be exciting and relevant for everyone,” said Maganto.
The speaker made a point of recalling the in-depth study and planning process undertaken prior to the opening, through more than sixty meetings and visits to households in the region, in order to better understand the motivations of customers, the challenges of their daily life at home, and their aspirations for a better life in the future.
Mr. Maganto then spoke of the quality of listening that the brand has encountered, the efficiency and professionalism of all the actors, both at the level of the regional authorities and of the partnership with the Tanger Med teams, who have been fundamental in bringing this dream to life and making this IKEA store a reality. For its part, IKEA and its managers are “proud to be able to make our full contribution to the growth and economic and social development of this beautiful region, by offering as many people as possible the means to live better at home and by supporting our community” , he pointed out.
90% local recruitment
With an investment of 400 million dirhams, the new IKEA Cabo store has created 500 direct jobs, 1,000 indirect with 90% local recruitment. “Recruitment is essential in our implementation strategy. For the sake of positive local impact, we have initiated a participatory approach by forging institutional partnerships with local authorities, universities, schools and the National Agency for the Promotion of Employment and Skills (Anapec), the objective being to benefit from the support of these organizations in order to build a team of collaborators that is both the most efficient and the most local possible”, explained Chakir Berrada, director of the IKEA Cabo store, noting that this HR policy is is also part of the brand’s desire to integrate into the local community, driven by a commitment to act in a spirit of “good neighbourliness”.
Brand consolidation approach
For more details and as highlighted by the brand managers during this inaugural ceremony, this project, which extends over an overall area of more than 18,000 m², including a commercial space of more than 16,400 m², illustrates the approach to consolidate the brand in the Kingdom where it has committed, since the opening of the first IKEA in Zenata in 2016, to a long-term investment. “Since then, IKEA has inaugurated the IKEA Morocco Mall store and set up an e-commerce site and a mobile application.
IKEA has also strengthened its logistics by creating its central unit in June 2022”, the same source said. Note that IKEA Cabo has a 3,550 m² showroom, a 4,184 m² Market Hall and the first IKEA restaurant with a terrace in Morocco, which can accommodate up to 230 people. In its commitment to a path of eco-responsibility and sustainability, IKEA Cabo offers, for its 379-space car park, four charging stations, among the first in the region, to charge electric vehicles.