Ikea’s three-year project to upgrade the Grade II listed building at 214 Oxford Street is nearly complete, with the furniture retailer announcing doors to its central London store will open on Thursday 01 May.
The Oxford Street store is designed to offer the traditional Ikea experience: a showroom packed with roomsets; a market-hall filled with home furnishings accessories; planning appointments; and a Swedish Deli.
The brand-new city centre store will span three floors of the seven-storey building, comprising the ground and two lower ground floors, with a retail space of 5,800 square metres.
Peter Jelkeby, CEO and chief sustainability officer, Ikea UK said: “Whether a local Londoner or a tourist passing through, Ikea Oxford Street aims to inspire home dreams for everyone – offering beautifully designed, functional furnishings at prices affordable for as many people as possible, ensuring visitors leave with ideas and solutions that make everyday life at home a little better.”
The retailer said upon entering the ground level, visitors will step into a uniquely London-inspired space with expansive home inspiration alongside curated shops co-created with Londoners to reflect the city – and Ikea’s – unique character and style.
Taking the escalator one floor down, shoppers will discover roomsets. A specially designed home planning hub will offer complimentary one-to-one design consultations with Ikea home furnishing experts, helping customers realise their perfect kitchen or optimise their bedroom storage.
The floor is also home to the 130-seater Swedish Deli, where visitors can take a break to enjoy Ikea’s signature meatballs served with mashed potatoes, lingonberry jam and cream sauce for £4.95, or grab a hot dog for just £0.75.
The lowest floor or ‘market hall’, where customers will find a selection of 3,500 home furnishing accessories and small furniture available for immediate purchase. The range spans from everyday essentials to Ikea classics, including the 365+ food storage range starting from £0.75, to the MICKE desk at £45. A compact self-serve area houses smaller pieces of furniture for customers to take home in the iconic blue FRAKTA bag.
For any larger furniture pieces which won’t fit into a FRAKTA, or to purchase any other product in Ikea’s 10,000-strong range, this can be done in store for delivery or collection from a broad network of pick-up points.
Jelkeby added: “We have worked carefully to ensure we maintain the character of this historic building whilst creating a modern retail environment for customers to explore and be inspired.
“London is an iconic shopping destination, and we are thrilled to now have a home in its centre. Ikea Oxford Street’s location complements our network of stores in London – and beyond – and allows us to be closer to where our customers live, work and shop, while importantly being easily accessible by foot or public transport. We look forward to welcoming you in.”
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