KEA built a number of factories in China and increased local sourcing of materials. While globally 30 per cent of IKEA's range comes from China, about 65 per cent of the volume sales in the country come from local sourcing. These local factories resolved the problem of high import taxes in China. The company also started performing local quality inspections closer to manufacturing to save on repair costs.
Since 2000, IKEA has cut its prices by more than 60 per cent. For instance, the price of its "Lack" table has dropped to 39 yuan (less than five euros at current exchange rates) from 120 yuan when IKEA first came to the Chinese market. The company plans to reduce prices further, helped by mass production and trimming supply chain costs.
High prices were one of the biggest barriers in China for people to purchase IKEA products. IKEA's global branding that promises low prices did not work in China also because western products are seen as aspirational in Asian markets. In this regard, IKEA's low-price strategy seemed to create confusion among Chinese consumers.