Skip to content
MarketScale
‹ Back to IndustriesRetail

Upskilling and Upscaling for the Future at IKEA

As AI advances with technologies such as GPT-4, companies are beginning to come to terms with the fact that “soft skill” education is crucial in creating a future industry for the retail world. GPT-4 functions as a natural language processing tool driven by tech that can use its language model for hard skills such as…

This story was produced through MarketScale. See how Retail teams put it to work with Sales Enablement.

Promoted content from Retail Refined on MarketScale.

Share

Get featured

Want MarketScale to feature Retail?

Book a 15-minute demo and we'll map your Retail expertise to the content buyers are searching for.

Book a demo

As AI advances with technologies such as GPT-4, companies are beginning to come to terms with the fact that “soft skill” education is crucial in creating a future industry for the retail world. GPT-4 functions as a natural language processing tool driven by tech that can use its language model for hard skills such as answering questions and assisting with tasks such as composing emails, essays, and code.

How, exactly, is the rapid development of AI and the hard skills it is equipped with influencing the retail industry’s workforce?

On this episode of Retail Refined, Host Melissa Gonzalez, live at Shoptalk Europe 2023, discusses the importance of adapting to new technology for the future of IKEA with the Group People & Culture Manager of IKEA Retail (Ingka Group), Ulrika Biesèrt. With that in mind, Ingka Group and IKEA plan on implementing 3,500 new jobs and opening 17 new locations in the United States alone. Already, the group has invested over ten million euros on educational programs to promote said soft skills as “hard skills.”

“Technology, advancement, digitalization, and automatization will have a huge impact on us as coworkers and we [as a company] really need to understand [as to] what we need to do to reskill and upscale,” Biesèrt said.

Gonzalez and Biesèrt also discussed…

● How everyone can thrive in the current work environment

● The mismatch between the skills workers have and the skills they need

● The future of IKEA with reskilling and upscaling through democratic learning

“I hear us talking about that there is a need of ‘soft skills.’ I think they are hardcore skills in the future. So, lead organization, artificial intelligence. Where will people add value? It’s innovation, it’s creativity, it’s more emotional intelligence. How do I meet the customer?… and I think we need to be training them as hardcore skills and not treating them as soft skills,” Biesèrt explained.

Ulrika Biesèrt, IKEA Retail (Ingka Group People & Culture manager), is a member of the Ingka Group Management team. It is key to her role to ensure the company is always guided by its purpose and values, keeping customers and co-workers at the heart of what it does so that both business and people grow together.

Retail Refined

Part of this channel

Retail Refined

In-store technology and consumer experience trends for retail leaders.

Visit the channel

Your experts belong here

Every story in MarketScale Retail starts with a company putting its merchandising leads, store operations teams, and category managers on the record. Buyers are already reading this topic. The only question is whose experts they find.

Category buyers trust operators, so your merchandising leads shorten the distance between first search and first call.

Get your team featuredSee how it works15 minutes, straight to a calendar.

Follow Retail Insights

Get new expert content in your inbox.

Retail: are you visible to AI?

Before they reach out, Retail buyers ask AI engines which vendors to trust. See how AI describes your company today, and where competitors show up instead.

Free workspace

You just read one Retail expert. Your company is full of them.

This article was produced through MarketScale. The same platform turns your merchandising leads, store operations teams, and category managers into the articles, video, and social content Retail buyers are searching for. Create a free workspace and see it with your own people. No credit card, no demo required.

NPS +73 · 1,000+ creators · 38+ countries

What you get, free

Your own MarketScale Studio workspace
One video edit a month, on us
AI writing, editing, and publishing tools
In-platform coaching to learn the system

More Retail Insights

Agentic AI, sub-30-minute delivery, and shelf robots are rewriting retail operations in 2026

Agentic AI, sub-30-minute delivery, and shelf robots are rewriting retail operations in 2026

By 2026, technologies like agentic AI, sub-30-minute delivery, and shelf robots have become integral to retail operations. Major retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, and Kohl's are leveraging these advancements. This shift represents a significant transformation in the way retail businesses function and serve customers.

  • 01Agentic AI and shelf robots are now critical components in modern retail operations.
  • 02Sub-30-minute delivery has become standard for many large retailers.
  • 03Major companies like Amazon and Walmart have fully integrated these technologies into their business models.

Aug 17, 2026

Whatnot hits $20 billion valuation as live-auction commerce goes mainstream retail

Whatnot hits $20 billion valuation as live-auction commerce goes mainstream retail

Whatnot has achieved a valuation of $20 billion after raising $545 million. The rapid growth of live-auction commerce is prompting large retailers to reconsider their digital selling strategies. This trend represents a significant shift in the retail industry towards more interactive and engaging online sales methods.

  • 01Whatnot reached a $20 billion valuation after raising $545 million.
  • 02Live-auction commerce is becoming mainstream, influencing enterprise retailers' digital strategies.
  • 03Interactive and engaging sales methods are reshaping the retail industry's approach to online commerce.

Aug 16, 2026

Bed Bath & Beyond's rebrand to Neighborhood Intelligence signals a new playbook for distressed retail recovery

Bed Bath & Beyond's rebrand to Neighborhood Intelligence signals a new playbook for distressed retail recovery

Bed Bath & Beyond has rebranded to Neighborhood Intelligence as part of its strategic efforts to revitalize its business. The company aims to leverage data and strengthen local relevance to improve its competitive position in the retail market.

  • 01Bed Bath & Beyond has renamed itself to Neighborhood Intelligence as part of a rebranding strategy.
  • 02The rebranding emphasizes data utilization and local community relevance to drive business success.
  • 03This strategic move aims to bolster the company's position amid retail market challenges.

Aug 15, 2026

Explore More Retail Insights

Read more expert perspectives from across Retail.

Browse Retail Hub

For B2B teams

Your experts could be publishing here

Stories like this one run on content MarketScale captures from real practitioners. See how your team's expertise becomes coverage in Retail and beyond.

Book a 15-minute demo

Or call us. No forms required. We pick up. 214-945-2512