June 17, 2008 - IKEA Canada has launched a green-themed website to keep tabs on its customers' attitudes toward environmentally and socially responsible products. Dubbed "The IKEA Way," the new website will focus on the company's ongoing commitment to responsible retailing, according to Kerri Molinaro, president of IKEA Canada. "'The IKEA Way' is more than trying to be green," she says. "It's about constantly striving to have a positive impact on people and the environment - with measurable goals."

Those green goals are partially dictated by the demands of IKEA customers. In October, IKEA Canada conducted a survey in which customers expressed dismay at the company's use of plastic shopping bags. Soon after, the retailer began charging for its plastic bags (a program that was expanded to U.S. stores in April).

To continue to collect this kind of insight, IKEA will develop a series of ongoing surveys on consumer attitudes on a range of hot topics, including socially and environmentally responsible products, local and ethical sourcing, the impact of more sustainable company operations, and concerns about greenwashing. The results will be published on the IKEA Way website.

"The consumer wants information about businesses that allow them to make informed, conscious decisions when purchasing," Molinaro explains. "The IKEA Way gives our customers the information they want, positive actions they can take and a stronger and direct voice to let us know how we're doing."