Ikea has surprised us all with its plans to launch a range of living room furniture with integrated consumer electronics.

Ikea will be entering the crowded electronics market with its Uppleva brand

The Uppleva brand will be introduced this summer to five European cities in Sweden, Germany, Poland, France and Italy and to stores in its remaining markets in 2013. Uppleva (Swedish for ‘experience’) aims to eliminate cables and multiple remote controls from the living room, offering an LED TV, wireless sound system, Wi-Fi connection, MP3 input and CD, DVD and Blu-ray player – in one self-assembly unit. A complete living room solution comes in various colours and sizes (TV screens range from 24 to 46 inches) with prices from Skr6,500 (£600).

Aiming to differentiate itself from traditional electronics retailers by focusing on aesthetics, Ikea commissioned a survey of customers in five European countries. Designer Francis Cayouette said: “We realised that many people are looking for an attractive solution that takes care of the various media devices in a manner that matches their furniture.”

Uppleva is a bid to capitalise on Ikea’ s strength for smart, affordable storage solutions. It might appeal to those who like to organise their living space and for whom technology is not top priority – apartment dwellers with a small living space, for instance. But it is a bold step into a crowded market. TV sales declined globally by 0.3% last year, according to DisplaySearch, and with the proliferation of mobile devices and on-demand content, TV could become redundant. Yet stylish electronics sell – as the stellar success of Apple demonstrates.

Ikea will need to convince customers of the quality and reliability of Uppleva products, with the choice of partner TCL Multimedia – almost unknown outside of China – a potential stumbling block. The concept of an integrated unit is unusual and harks back to the ‘stereograms’ of the 1970s. Yet, Ikea does offer customers a five-year guarantee on Uppleva and, if successful, there may be opportunities for further products, such as beds with integrated media solutions.

We will be able to judge the Uppleva range for ourselves next year when it arrives in the UK. It is unlikely to grab huge market share but with any luck it may prompt manufacturers to think harder about aesthetics. In a tough market with razor-thin margins, Ikea’s move is likely to give European specialists such as Dixons Retail, Kesa and Media-Saturn something else to worry about.

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