Ikea boss ready for stiff competition

BURLINGTON, Ont. — Ikea Canada’s new president says the country’s retail landscape is more competitive than ever, and he’s ready to enter the ring. Stefan Sjöstrand told Report on Business that the company’s stores and e-retail site need to be as accessible as possible, and focus on getting customers to leave satisfied. The veteran of Ikea’s European operations is looking for ways to make the buying process cheaper and easier, and will offer “pickup points” for online purchases to appeal to customers daunted by the retailer’s unpopularly high shipping fees.