IKEA’s success in Greece has led Fourlis Holdings, its local franchisee, to plan new stores in other parts of the country, outside the major metropolitan areas of Athens and Thessalonica. The novel element of this venture is that the new stores will be opened in primarily agricultural areas, where local attitudes and traditions are much more prevalent than in the two largest cities of Greece where the company currently operates. Hence, the success of these projects relies on adaptation of the IKEA global concept to the local needs and tradition. The aim of this study was to define customer needs, behaviour and trends in the local market, with a view to identify the effectiveness of the contemporary marketing methods of reaching customers. Based on extensive market research and analysis, suggestions are proposed related to how IKEA could tailor its strategy and approach to the specific markets in order to optimise return and commercial success.
