In January, Ikea Planning Studio launched in Jurong Point. A collaboration with Livspace, the studio is a huge success in Singapore market because, unlike the Nordic countries where Ikea is all about DIY, customers here prefer professional help with their purchases. Branding itself as an omnichannel home design and renovation platform, Livspace, founded in India, aims to disrupt our home reno market. We chat with its Singapore country head Ravindran Shanmugam to find out more.
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WHAT DOES AN OMNICHANNEL PLATFORM MEAN?
Interiors and renovations are high value, low-frequency purchases where homeowners rely on both online and offline touchpoints throughout their journey.
For example, while they find inspiration and advice online, they prefer to hire a professional only after seeing their work in real-time. Livspace has built an experience that integrates the online website and customer app with physical experience centres and the worksite or customer’s home. All touchpoints are supported by technology, creating an omnichannel experience.
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WHAT DOES LIVSPACE OFFER HOMEOWNERS THAT ID FIRMS AND DESIGN & BUILD CONTRACTORS DON’T?
Livspace provides an end-to-end home renovation experience that is predictable in terms of price, timelines and quality, thanks to our technology and the streamlining of a supply chain of products and services. You can think of us as the one-stop destination for design, furniture and decor, modular solutions and services such as tiling, flooring and ceiling design.
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WOULD IT BE CORRECT TO SAY THAT LIVSPACE DISRUPTING THE INTERIOR DESIGN AND HOME RENO MARKET IS AKIN TO GRAB CHANGING THE WAY WE GET OUT OUR FOOD FROM TRADITIONAL F&B ESTABLISHMENTS??
You are right. In principle, Grab matches you to drivers based on several factors such as proximity, car type and so on, and underwrites the entire experience of the ride. Grab has made transportation predictable in the same way as Livspace is making home interiors and renovation predictable by using technology.
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We match you with the designer or studio that is perfectly suited to your project. We look at factors like home type, the scope of the project, the designer’s expertise and availability, your preferred style and so on.
In Singapore, Livspace has a pool of over 100 design professionals, including a mix of in-house designers and certified design partners. In India, we have over 2,000 designers, plus studios across 12 cities.
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HOW DID LIVSPACE START WORKING WITH IKEA?
We started by providing interior design and renovation services in the Tampines store. After tasting early success, we officially became its renovation partner and extended our services to the Alexandra store. And now, we’re partner for its planning studio.
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JOURNEY LIKE AT THE IKEA PLANNING STUDIO?
Homeowners can find us online and in the Ikea stores or get referred by existing customers. They need to fill a consultation form and take a short quiz that tells us what they are looking for.
Our algorithm matches them with a suitable designer and their project that’s based on their answers. The designer then calls the customer or meets them in person to understand the project brief in more detail.
Based on that, the designer will put together a design proposal and a quote. If the homeowners are happy, they can start their project by paying 10 per cent of the quote. The designer then works closely with them to finalise the design and select all products and finishes before creating an order.
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Once the homeowners pay the next 40 per cent, the order is placed. As a home renovation can contain hundreds of SKUs, the order is automatically broken into sub-orders for different brands and contractors.
Once the work starts on site, customers receive regular updates from the designer and project manager, who manages everything and deliver a finished home. The remaining 45 per cent is paid before delivery. The balance 5 per cent is paid only when we hand over their home.
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DO YOU ALSO OFFER ARCHITECTURAL ALTERATIONS THAT NEED A QUALIFIED PERSON (QP) OR A REGISTERED ARCHITECT?
At the moment, we do not offer architectural services.
SINGAPORE’S INTERIOR DESIGN INDUSTRY WILL SOON BE FORMALLY ACCREDITED. HOW WILL LIVSPACE ADJUST?
We are happy about the formal accreditation. We also welcome the clarity of information that this will bring to consumers. It will require only minimal adjustments on the part of Livspace as a company as our designers already meet the qualification criteria.