Ikea Romania announced the appointment of new market managers for its Băneasa and Pallady stores in Bucharest, overseeing other customer meeting points across the country, such as the order pick-up points and the planning and order studio.

Mihai Boian was appointed market manager for Ikea Băneasa, while Silvana Baciu took over the same position at Ikea Pallady. 

With over 15 years of experience at Ikea, Mihai Boian has held various roles in logistics, sales, and business navigation. In his new role, he will focus on further developing the well-established Ikea Băneasa store, leading its transformation to meet new retail expectations, particularly in sustainability and digitalization, the company said.

“I look forward to strengthening Ikea Băneasa customer experience and working to support and inspire our co-workers and bring to life the company’s vision to create a better everyday life at home for many people,” commented Mihai Boian.

Opened in 2007, the Ikea Băneasa store operates with 460 co-workers. It welcomed almost 3 million visitors in FY 2024 and sold 10.6 million products, marking an increase of 5% from 2023.

With over 25 years of experience in retail sales and a background in textile production, Silvana Baciu joined Ikea in 2018 as sales manager for its store in the Pallady area in eastern Bucharest. She then took on key roles such as customer experience manager and call center operational manager. Starting the first semester of this year, she has been officially appointed as the market manager for Ikea Pallady.

“My special focus will be on how to renew and improve - I think it is a great driver to move things forward and become better for the people and planet alongside the growth of our market talents,” Silvana Baciu commented about her new role.

The Ikea Pallady store, which opened in 2019, represents a significant chapter in the retailer’s expansion in Eastern Europe. Spanning 37,000 square meters, it is the largest Ikea store in Southeast Europe and currently employs 585 co-workers. In FY 2024, Ikea Pallady welcomed 2.2 million visitors and sold 7.6 million products.

Ikea continues to grow its footprint in Romania, with the company opening the first plan and order studio in Romania, in Constanta, this year, and continuing to expand its local sales. Last financial year revenues at the Romanian outlets grew by 12%, with over 26.5 million sold products contributing to a turnover exceeding RON 1.4 billion.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Ikea)