Yahoo Finance IKEA to open first high street store in Hammersmith
IKEA, the Swedish retailer known for its out-of-town warehouses, is opening its first small format store in Britain on a high street in Hammersmith.
The new 4,600 square meter store will open to the public on 24 February and feature 4,000 product lines on display and 1,800 available to take away on the same day. It will also feature a Swedish deli, serving the brand’s well-known meatballs and other Nordic fare.
The new shop, the first of its kind in the UK, is located within the former Kings Mall shopping Centre in Hammersmith and will have an entry way on the nearby high street.
Peter Jelkeby, country retail manager at IKEA UK & Ireland, said: “As shopping habits evolve and city centres continue to be redefined in the wake of the pandemic, this new store format marks the next step in our business transformation as we strive to make IKEA more accessible, affordable and sustainable.
“For the first time, Londoner’s will be able to take the tube to an IKEA store, pop in, grab a yellow bag and buy all the home furnishing accessories that make a house a home. They will also be able to explore the whole range, for delivery to a convenient collection point or directly to their home.”
The shift towards smaller format, inner city stores comes as more of IKEA’s business shifts online. Digital sales grew by 73% last year and now account for around £1 in every four spent with the shop.
Inner city shops offer collection points for online shoppers and easy returns. They also allow shoppers to see items they may be considering buying online in real life.
IKEA now has eight smaller shops around the world. It remains committed to its larger shops, however. It recently signed a deal to take over the former TopShop site on Oxford Street, though even this is much smaller than out-of-town branches in places like Tottenham and Croydon.
Now read: Goodbye Topshop, hello Ikea: How London’s Oxford Street transformed in 2021
