Ikea to open 20 small stores

In addition to its traditional Ikea stores, the international furniture chain will open 20 new small stores in Europe and North America. This is set to happen within the next six months, as Ingka Group, the largest Ikea retailer, announced in a press release on Thursday. With its new expansion plans, Ikea aims to be even more accessible to people in smaller towns and suburbs. In the past, the company mainly operated large Ikea stores in suburban areas and later opened locations in the city centers of large metropolitan areas.

 In France, for example, Ikea will open its first 2,000 m² compact store in Limoges by the summer, with further stores planned in other parts of the country. Coimbra will be the first city in Portugal to welcome the new format with an area of more than 4,000 m², while Poland will open its second store in the city of Białystok by the end of the year. With a focus on everyday items, customers will find more than 2,000 home furnishing products and accessories in the store, with the entire range available through flexible pickup or delivery options. “The physical store remains at the centre of our omnichannel business”, says Juvencio Maeztu, CEO of Ingka Group. The investment in the new smaller stores is part of Ingka Group's three-year €5 billion investment aimed at opening new locations and improving existing ones in most of its 32 markets.