Swedish furniture retailer Ikea has today announced it is taking a bigger step into the world of e-commerce, launching a fully shoppable app on both iOS and Android which puts customers in charge of how their data is shared.

The new app replaces its old app, and allows customers to search through and buy from the business’ furniture and homewares selection, and offers lifestyle imagery within its feeds to give users a sense of what their rooms could look like.

“The new Ikea app in Australia brings to life a new channel within our multichannel retail offering,” said Ikea Australia digital manager Giovanni Rutigliano.

“[It] provides a faster and smoother experience and importantly lays the foundations for upgrades and enhanced features to be introduced in the coming months.”

And beyond serving as a means for customers to purchase new fittings for their homes, the app is also billed as the first significant iteration of Ikea’s customer data promise – an approach that puts customers first in all data-driven processes.

When customers log into the app they are presented with options for how they wish to share their data off the bat, rather than having these options hidden in a system menu, ensuring all customers are tailoring how their data is shared with Ikea.

“The Ikea data promise will ensure we are as transparent as possible as to how we use our customer’s data,” said Rutigliano.

“We want to build trust with our consumers, putting data ethics at the core of everything we do within a digital sense, so that customers have the understanding that have their best interests at heart in the services and interactions we have together.”