Thomas Pflugner, Market Manager of the IKEA Berlin-Tempelhof store  

1.  Describe your company in a tweet? 

"Creating a better everyday life for the many" - that is IKEA's vision. At the same time, our vision goes beyond furnishings. We want our business to have a positive impact on people, home life and our planet.
 

2.  Why are you involved as a Berlin-Partner? 

As a good neighbour and partner, we want to be involved as part of the community and address issues that people are concerned about. We want to contribute our knowledge and experience, work towards an open dialogue where we can learn from each other and develop ideas together.
 

3.  What issues are driving you in terms of your industry?  

Our enthusiasm for home life is what defines IKEA. As a humanistic and value-driven company, we want to make a positive impact: We want to make healthy, sustainable living the norm by encouraging sustainable behaviour in society. To do this, we develop products that support this and share tips and ideas on how to save energy and water, reduce waste and eat more plant-based food, for example. If we stand up for what we believe in, we can be part of a positive change in society.
 

4.  What makes Berlin special for you?

Berlin is home for many and at the same time so diverse and dynamic. Whether families or singles, start-ups or already established companies, students or people interested in Berlin, big city people or Kiez lovers, drivers or cyclists, connoisseurs of vegan/vegetarian cuisine or meat gourmets - for all of them, Berlin is home and there is an exciting building, working and living situation that allows us to offer many great solutions for an even better everyday life.
 

5.  Why is Berlin attractive for your company? 

As the capital city, Berlin is in a constant state of change. This dynamism and forward movement, as well as the great variety of opportunities, offers IKEA a great environment to let new concepts emerge and to be right where people are in their encounters. Whether online via the web or app, in the traditional way in our four IKEA stores in Berlin or with even more personalised service in our three and soon to be five IKEA Planning Studios - we are looking forward to making the IKEA world even more accessible to the many Berliners than before and thus creating the most seamless shopping experience possible in an omnichannel environment.

6.  How does your company implement the topic of sustainability?

At IKEA we have set ourselves ambitious goals, including being climate positive by 2030. The IKEA Sustainability Strategy describes our ambitions and commitments and forms our common agenda. In terms of content, it is about doing our part to tackle the climate crisis, counteracting unsustainable consumption and eliminating injustice. And so we focus on these three priorities: Enabling healthy and sustainable living, becoming a circular and climate-positive company, and creating fairness and equality.

We are on our way to becoming a circular company and as part of this transformation we are developing products and services that help people care for, repair and pass on their belongings. For example, today we buy back used IKEA furniture from our customers when it is no longer needed, giving it a chance for a second life in a new home. We also develop our products to encourage more sustainable consumption and living, and give people tips and tricks on how to save energy and water, reduce waste and eat more plant-based food. 

We have already achieved a lot - with both small and bigger steps, we are getting a little closer to our IKEA vision every day. And yet there is still work to be done.

"Most of it is not done yet. Wonderful future!"
Ingvar Kamprad, IKEA founder