Ikea research into NZ homes reveals carpeted garages and clutter challenges

A garage with bikes, fridge and other household items. Photo / Getty Images

From carpeted garages to cluttered doorways, a new Ikea report unpacks surprising Kiwi habits. Here’s what what the company’s research might mean for its Sylvia Park store.

Ikea’s long-awaited launch into the New Zealand market may still be a year away - the Herald understands its Sylvia Park store will open at the end of 2025 - but the company is full steam ahead with regard to getting the retail outpost ready.

The building has started - the store’s the size of four rugby fields - some local roles have been appointed, and in April the Herald’s Anne Gibson reported on the company’s unprecedented $407 million spend in New Zealand.

This week Ikea revealed its research into Kiwi homes, releasing its Life at Home report on August 13, the first time the Swedish multi-national has done this kind of survey in New Zealand.

To do so it sent 47 employees around the country, canvassing 500 homes in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington over three weeks, visiting everything from flat share arrangements to families, apartments and stand-alone dwellings to see how Kiwis live and what makes us unique.

Multi-national homeware company Ikea has stores around the world. A New Zealand store has been long awaited. Photo / 123RF

One of the most surprising revelations, Christine Gough told a crowd of media journalists in Auckland yesterday, was we carpet our garages. 93% of the houses surveyed had this feature, and the Ikea team saw garages filled with storage, kids’ toys, gym equipment and assorted household bits.

“Everything except the for the car,” Gough said. “Where do you park the car?”

She’s has been with the company for over 30 years, and seen a lot of homes all over the world.

Ours have storage problems.

“We have a lot of work to do when it comes to entryways,” revealed Gough. 88% of them were crowded, and they noticed how a standard behavioral convention - not always the case in other countries - is causing clutter around the front door. “Shoes off is really common.”

There’s clutter in our kitchens too, with 48% of homes struggling with storage in this space. “Small appliances all over the benchtop,” noted Gough.

Will this insight influence what Ikea will be selling to Kiwis?

Not hugely. “The range is the range,” Gough said, explaining that due to the size of the store, New Zealand can expect around 7000 styles from the full range of 10,000.

She also revealed that these had been confirmed. “We’ve already selected,” Gough told the Herald. “It was very challenging.”

The process took months. She’ll return to Auckland when Ikea gets possession of the building - its design has been tailored to New Zealand - and until then, Kiwis will have to wait and see, watching the three-storey building go up in Mount Wellington.

Emma Gleason is the Herald’s lifestyle and entertainment deputy editor.