Ikea is trialling a virtual product experience in ‘Welcome to Bloxburg’, a life-simulation game on the Roblox platform where players build and design homes.

The pilot, which is running in Sweden and Australia, is designed as a small-scale test to examine customer engagement and learnings.

Ikea said that the move will help its teams assess design translation, usability, and customer engagement in a digital setting.

The company explained that findings from the pilot will "better inform future decisions", with the business planning to continue assessing different digital platforms.

The trial features a limited number of well-known Ikea products, including the STOCKHOLM sofa, the ELSYSTEM rug, and shark toy BLÅHAJ.

The pilot features a limited assortment of well-known IKEA products, including the STOCKHOLM sofa, the ELSYSTEM rug and BLÅHAJ, everyone’s favourite shark, selected to explore different use cases in a virtual environment.

From 22 January to 5 February, these products will be available to unlock in Bloxburg, at the in-game IKEA pop-up in the Fancy Furniture Store, or from the product library.

Visitors to Ikea stores in Australia and Sweden will also be able to unlock a few extra items by scanning QR codes hidden around the store.

With millions of global monthly users, Roblox is considered one of the most popular gaming platforms in the world.

“This pilot is very much about learning and exploring,” said Parag Parekh, chief digital officer, Ikea Retail. “We’re using it to better understand how digital environments can enrich the Ikea experience, while continuing to stay true to our values and what customers expect from us.”

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