CONSHOCKEN, PA—Ikea has shifted US corporate PR duties to APCO, after parting ways with seven-year incumbent Lippe Taylor.

The decision follows a competitive review that began earlier this year, as revealed by the Holmes Report last month.

Lippe Taylor did not take part in the pitch, 18 months after it retained the account in a competitive review.

In an email statement, Ikea corporate PR director Mona Liss said that APCO would support the Swedish retailer on "corporate communication disciplines including corporate public relations, crisis communication, and stakeholder relations.”

She added that the firm was chosen from a "review of major communications firms."

The US has been a key growth driver for the Swedish furniture retailer, with sales increasing 11 percent to $4.1bn in 2012, out of global revenues of $36bn. Ikea is the second biggest home furnishing company in the US, operating 38 stores, and is aiming to broaden its customer base in the country.

Last year, the company also released a new sustainability strategy that commits investment of $1.9bn in renewable energy, including $150m in Photovoltaic systems at its US stores.