Ikea launched in its first store in New Zealand to much fanfare earlier this month but it has become a victim of its own success, forcing the Swedish furniture retailer to shut down its customer support center temporarily to focus on dealing with the backlog.
The retailer’s long-awaited arrival in Auckland on December 4 was met with overwhelming online demand from across the country, resulting in growing frustration for customers who have found their orders have been delayed or cancelled.
Ikea acknowledged that it has fallen behind on its orders and fulfilment services. It stated on its website:
“We have been bowled over by the response from New Zealanders all over the country since we opened our doors on 4 December. The sales and orders secured over the first few days have surpassed our expectations and as a result some of our fulfilment services are currently unavailable.”
Complaints about delayed deliveries, cancelled orders and stock shortages have spread across social media, with some customers saying they have struggled to get any response from the retailer by phone or email. And there have been lengthy delays for customers trying to reach support staff through the website’s live chat function.
Ikea said the teething problems were the result of being a new operation. It has extended shifts and increased capacity to deal with the backlog, but confirmed customers would be unable to contact the customer support team during the shutdown.
“As a brand‑new team, we are learning quickly and adapting our operations to meet this incredible level of demand, and we are working around the clock to secure optimal operations as soon as possible.”
“For now, Click and Collect and some delivery services are temporarily unavailable while we catch up. Customers with existing orders will be contacted by our customer service team in the coming days to agree on a convenient time for delivery or collection where possible.”
Customers say they accept that strong demand has led to delays as the retailer finds its feet in New Zealand, but have been frustrated by poor communication and mixed messages sent from do-not-reply email addresses.
In its statement, Ikea tried to reassure customers that it is working to fix the issues and get their orders delivered. “Thank you for bearing with us during these busy opening days and, rest assured, we are committed to getting all orders to customers as quickly [as possible].”
Ikea Customer Support Snag Shows Why CX Teams Need Communication and Capacity
The incident highlights the importance of communicating with customers immediately when things go wrong. Most customers are willing to tolerate delays, especially during a high-profile launch, if they feel informed and acknowledged.
Mixed or unclear messages make it hard for customers to trust what they’re being told, and can leave them wondering whether their order is moving at all. Even if there isn’t an immediate fix, being upfront about what’s happening, setting realistic timeframes and making it easy to get in touch can go a long way.
The order backlog also highlights how important it is to have enough staff on hand, especially during busy periods like a major new launch. Customers expect quick, informed help, and that’s tough to deliver when teams are stretched to their limits.
In one media report, a customer said an Ikea customer support agent told them they were also pitching in at the warehouse, a clear sign of how thinly staff were being spread to keep things moving. That kind of flexibility can help in the short term, but it comes at the cost of slower responses and a drop in service quality.
With the right staffing in place, support teams have the time to properly help customers, at a point when a brand is trying to win long-term trust.
