Ikea has opened a mini spin-off store in central London, which opened on Thursday.
The UK boss has said the new high street outlets are the “tip of the iceberg,” as the group hopes to change its business model.
Javier Quiñones, Ikea’s UK and Ireland country retail manager, said: “This is part of the transformation of Ikea.”
“This is only the tip of the iceberg. We are looking for other city centre stores … we expect to open more like this but also other formats [with] home furnishing accessories and a food offer.”
“What we are doing is looking at the future and how we can be where the consumer wants us to be. We know 50% of people do not have a car today which makes the accessibility of some of our units not extremely easy.”
“The big units are the most important assets we have. The biggest part of the growth is online but the stores themselves are also growing,” he added.
Last year, Ikea blamed its 40% fall in profits on higher wages and the cost of investments online and in-store.
The central London store is Tottenham Court Road and is called a “Planning Studio”.
It will allow customers to receive advice from staff members.
Ikea’s London city centre market leader Jane Bisset said: “Our new city centre approach brings IKEA into the heart of London and is designed to complement our larger stores and digital offering, so customers have a wide range of choices that suit their needs and lifestyles.”
“The Ikea Planning Studio on Tottenham Court Road will give Londoners a relaxed and professional experience to get the advice and inspiration they need to plan more complex or large-scale home projects, with the expertise and specialist support of our co-workers, alongside a great service package,” she added.
