How IKEA Improved Its Brand With Arabic Website Localization

With online retail sales in the Middle East projected to reach $50 billion by the end of 2025, the region has emerged as a major player in the global ecommerce market. Businesses looking to expand in the area must focus on Arabic website localization to ensure a seamless and engaging shopping experience. Ikea, one of the world’s leading home furnishing brands, recognized this need and implemented a strong Arabic localization strategy to optimize its website for Middle Eastern customers.

IKEA And The Importance Of Arabic Localization

With over 460 stores Ikea has built a reputation for delivering stylish, affordable furniture to homes worldwide. However, expanding into the Middle East required more than just opening physical stores. Website localization services had to ensure that the digital experience felt natural and intuitive to Arabic-speaking users. The company worked with an expert Arabic localization agency to refine its digital presence, ensuring that product descriptions, promotional content, and checkout processes were fully optimized for Middle Eastern consumers.

How IKEA Implemented Its Arabic Localization Strategy

Ikea’s success in the region relied on an effective Arabic translation and content localization strategy that considered not just language, but also regional shopping behaviors. One of the most critical aspects of Arabic document localization was ensuring that text flowed correctly in a right-to-left format. This technical challenge affected not just readability, but also the overall user experience. Ikea redesigned its website layout to ensure smooth navigation, adjusting elements such as menus, search bars, and CTA buttons to align with Arabic reading patterns. This allowed Ikea to reach a 17% sales increase in the biggest Middle Eastern countries.

Cultural adaptation was another key factor. Arabic localization services helped Ikea tailor content to align with local preferences, particularly in terms of product descriptions and marketing language. Instead of using direct translations from English or Swedish, Ikea adopted a more culturally relevant tone, ensuring that product categories, measurement units and pricing structures resonated with regional customers. For example, instead of featuring Scandinavian style room setups, the Arabic site highlighted interiors that reflect Middle Eastern design preferences.

Localization also played a significant role in how Ikea approached promotions and seasonal campaigns. With Ramadan being a crucial shopping season in the region, Ikea ensured that localization services reflected the significance of the occasion. Marketing campaigns, homepage banners and special product collections were tailored to match the aesthetic and emotional significance of the holy month, leading to a significant 15% boost in customer engagement and satisfaction.

The Business Impact Of Arabic Website Localization

Ikea has successfully positioned itself as a brand that understands and values its regional customers. Partnering with the right Arabic localization agency was crucial in achieving this success. With over 30 years of expertise, Language Connections has helped global businesses like Ikea create and implement their localization strategies. Offering translation and localization services in over 100 languages and supported by a vendor pool of 4,000 expert linguists, Language Connections ensures that companies can seamlessly expand into new markets while maintaining cultural and linguistic accuracy. For businesses seeking to optimize their digital presence in international markets, professional localization is the key to longterm success.