Ikea bullish on business opportunities in nation

Attending the China International Import Expo for the seventh straight year, Swedish home furnishings and housewares retailer Ikea has made the event and Chinese cultural elements the muse of their product development, according to a senior executive.

"We've been here for seven consecutive years just from the start. It has been an exciting part of the year and something that we value very highly as well," said Pontus Erntell, CEO, president & chief sustainability officer of Ikea China, during an exclusive interview with China Daily ahead of the 7th CIIE to be held in Shanghai from Tuesday to Sunday.

Erntell said Ikea's display booth at the expo is inspired by the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420) essay Peach Blossom Spring written by Tao Yuanming (365-427). By mixing Chinese culture with Nordic elements, the booth of about 360 square meters highlights three themes — sustainability, the silver economy and consumption stimulus.