Ikea has acquired TaskRabbit — and it could fix the most annoying thing about the furniture giant
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Ikea is buying a startup that could fix the most annoying thing about the iconic furniture company.
The home-goods giant has signed an agreement to acquire TaskRabbit, Ikea announced on Thursday.
TaskRabbit is a "gig economy"-style startup founded in 2008. The company lets users hire temporary workers to deliver purchases, clean homes, and even assemble furniture.
Ikea said that once the acquisition is complete, the home-goods store will be able to provide customers with access to TaskRabbit "Taskers."
"In a fast changing retail environment, we continuously strive to develop new and improved products and services to make our customers' lives a little bit easier," Jesper Brodin, the president and CEO of Ikea Group, said in a statement. "Entering the on-demand, sharing economy enables us to support that."
Ikea already has an official partnership with TaskRabbit in the UK. The program offers fixed pricing for Ikea customers seeking someone to assemble furniture purchased from Ikea — a famously tricky task.
TaskRabbit already advertises furniture pick-up, delivery and assembly services. In New York City, "Ikea Assembly" is a specific task that customers can select from a list of available options, which include things such as waiting in line and yard work.
"The purchase of TaskRabbit was fueled by Ikea's need to bolster its digital customer service capabilities to better compete with rivals likes Amazon, which has stepped up its home goods and installation offerings," Recode reported before the deal had been officially announced. "The purchase is Ikea’s first step into the on-demand platform space."
Recode could not determine how much Ikea reportedly paid for TaskRabbit, which has raised roughly $50 million since it was founded in 2008. Ikea did not disclose the acquisition price when Business Insider requested comment.