EE.UU. - Ingka Group, (whose business operations include Ikea Retail, Ingka Investments and Ingka Centers) the world’s largest home furnishing retailer, has signed an agreement to invest and acquire 49% of Traemand, a US based kitchen service company, with an option to buy the remaining shares.

Traemand is an existing partner of IKEA Retail US and Canada, providing tools and systems to simplify the customers’ kitchen journey.

Ingka Group is accelerating its retail transformation by stepping up the investments to better meet the increasing needs of its customers. With the investment in Traemand the customer experience will be more simple and seamless.

“We know our customers appreciate our affordable, inspiring and functional kitchen range, in addition, the investment in Traemand makes it possible to integrate the planning and the installation service in the purchase, offering customers an even easier and more convenient experience when investing in a kitchen,” says Marcus Baumgartner, Customer Fulfillment Manager, Ingka Group.

The partnership with Traemand started in 2005, a long-standing and fully dedicated partner for the IKEA kitchen service business in the US and more recently Canada. The company has systems and tools which - when integrated closer to IKEA Retail – will enable a seamless kitchen journey from in-house measurement, online and instore kitchen planning, installation of the kitchen and customer support services.

“For the past 13 years we’ve had a successful partnership with IKEA Retail US, where we have supported thousands of customers in the journey of buying their dream kitchen. This investment makes it possible for us to take the next steps in developing our tools and services to better benefit the many IKEA kitchen customers,” says Bjarne Rasmussen, founder of Traemand.