The Swedish furniture and home goods chain IKEA announced this Thursday that it will suspend operations due to the war in Ukraine. The decision will have a "direct impact" on the 15,000 employees the Swedish chain has in both countries.
EFE
Copenhagen
The Swedish furniture and home goods chain IKEA announced this Thursday the temporary suspension of its activities in Russia and Belarus due to the war in Ukraine.
"The war is already having a huge human impact. And it is also resulting in serious disruptions to the supply chain and to the conditions for trading. For all these reasons, the company's groups have decided to temporarily suspend their operations in Russia and Belarus," according to a statement.
This decision means that Inter IKEA, the brand's owner, will halt all exports and imports to and from Russia and Belarus, as well as all production in Russia, which also affects all deliveries from subcontractors.
Ingka Group, the company that accounts for 90% of IKEA 's sales and operates in 32 countries with more than 170,000 employees, will also suspend all its retail operations in Russia.
The closure will not affect, however, the Mega shopping centers, controlled by Ingka, which will remain open "to ensure that many people in Russia have access to their daily and essential needs such as food, vegetables and pharmacies," the statement specifies.
IKEA 's decision will have a "direct impact" on the 15,000 workers that the Swedish chain has in both countries.
"The company's ambitions are long-term, and we have ensured job and income stability for the immediate future and provided support to these (workers) and their families in the region," IKEA.
The IKEA also announced an immediate donation of 20 million euros ($22.2 million) for humanitarian aid to those displaced by the armed conflict, responding to a call from the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
"The situation is extremely critical and changing rapidly. The company's teams are dedicated to navigating this reality, with the interests of its people as the top priority," the Swedish firm stated.
While Inter IKEA owns the concept of the furniture chain, it is the Ingka group that concentrates 90% of the sales of the Swedish firm, which has a complex structure with foundations and companies with headquarters in several countries, controlled by the family of its founder, Ingvar Kamprad, who died in 2018.
