A furniture store imitating the Swedish furniture company ‘IKEA’ has opened in Moscow, the capital of Russia. Some customers who visited the store on the first day of opening criticized that the inside of the store was small and felt uncomfortable in the process of searching for products.
According to Reuters on the 16th (local time), Belarusian furniture company Suede House opened a furniture store in Moscow on the 15th that imitates IKEA, which withdrew its business from Russia. Belarus is a country that has been helping Russia by providing its territory as a route for movement of Russian troops after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Suede House presented a logo design using blue and yellow like IKEA. In addition, the company displayed products similar in shape to IKEA furniture and dolls in its stores, and also kept original IKEA products as they were.
An official from Suede House said, “15% to 20% of the products we sell are original products from IKEA,” adding, “We also have our own products.” “Nobody has stopped us from doing this,” he added. “Our products are also in great demand.”
suede house instagramSome customers criticized that the store was smaller than IKEA and the way the furniture was displayed was different. “Ikea had a certain approach to product placement,” one customer said. “If Suede House wants to improve, it still has a long way to go.”
Suede House plans to gradually increase the number of stores. An official from the company said, “We are not IKEA,” but “we aim to be like IKEA.”
AP/NewsisIt is not the first time that “fake” stores have appeared in Russia. Last year, Stars Coffee (STARS COFFEE) took the place of Starbucks, a coffee chain that withdrew from Moscow. The Stars Coffee logo contains a female face similar to the mermaid ‘Siren’ in the Starbucks logo.
The Associated Press criticized, “If you check the Stars app, which was launched the day before the official opening, the menu of Stars Coffee will be familiar to all Starbucks customers.” Anton Pinsky, a businessman who opened the first Stars Coffee store, said at a press conference, “People probably think differently,” and refuted, “If you compare the logos, there is nothing in common except that the background is circular.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.