Franchises are granted by Inter IKEA Systems B.V. as part of a detailed expansion plan. Serious applicants are carefully researched and evaluated and franchises are granted only to companies and/or individuals with strong financial backing and a proven record in retail.When selecting franchisees, Inter IKEA Systems B.V., among other things, evaluates the following:experiencelocal market knowledge and presence (able to demonstrate ability to establish and operate IKEA stores nationally)corporate culture and valuesfinancial strength and ability to carry through the investment penetrating a country in full and in a large-scale retail environment format