Swedish retail giant Ikea is on the rise in Asia. In an in-depth report, Nikkei Asian Review explains why the furniture firm has all the building blocks for a retail empire in Asia.

Basically, the concept is a mix of a knack for localization and a proven strategy of targeting the middle class, it said.

“While most multinationals entering Asia target the rich — the small minority at the top of the economic pyramid — Ikea engages the middle class first and then expands to the equally massive segment of lower-income families.

“Ikea’s strategy of capturing the hearts and minds of the middle class starts with its trademark “home visits.” A team of three to four Ikea employees visit regular homes located within a one-hour radius of the store and observe how their inhabitants live.

Today, Ikea has 18 stores in China, 8 in Japan and 5 in Taiwan, etc. It plans several new stores.

Full story here.