Stockholm: Global furniture giant IKEA announced the launch of desks, tables and lamps that will wirelessly charge phones and other devices.
The new collection will use Qi wireless technology to charge devices that are placed on or near the furniture.
“Through research and home visits, we know that people hate cable mess. They worry about not finding the charger and running out of power,” Ikea’s business area manager of lighting and wireless charging, Jeanette Skjelmose, said in a statement.
“Our new innovative solutions, which integrate wireless charging into home furnishings, will make life at home simpler,” she added.
The Home Spot range of desks, bedside tables and lamps will hit stores in Europe and North America in April, Ikea said, with a “global roll-out” in the works.
“This is (a) very early time in the furniture business to blend wireless technology,” Jeff Kagan, a technology industry analyst, said. “I expect every other furniture maker to jump on this same bandwagon,” he added.
The Swedish furniture retailer in September last year signed an MoU to invest Rs 500 crore to roll out stores and establish a supply chain in Karnataka. After the event, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah tweeted: “Signed an MoU with Ikea. They will invest Rs 500 crore in supply chain and new stores. This will create huge employment potential.”
The MoU was signed between IKEA India Chief Juvencio Maeztu and Rathnaprabha, additional chief secretary in the department of commerce & industries. The move was seen as a morale booster for the state, after the loss of the Hero project.
IKEA is the world’s largest furniture retailer with more than 350 stores in 41 countries and an annual sales volume of $24 billion and employing 1.5 lakh people globally.
The company uses approximately 1% of Earth’s wood supply, making it one of the largest users of wood in the retail sector.
The Swedish furniture giant has been sourcing products from India valued at about €400 million every year. It has close to 70 suppliers in the country and more than 85,000 direct co-workers.