Ikea has decided to close one of its stores just two years after its initial opening. The Swedish flatpack giant will be shutting down its Plan and Order point located at the Stockport Merseyway Shopping Centre on June 16.
These Ikea Plan and Order points are smaller outlets that specialize in assisting customers with planning their kitchen, bedroom, and living room spaces, offering design advice.
While customers cannot purchase items directly at a Plan and Order point, they can place orders for home delivery. The nearest Ikea store is situated in Ashton-under-Lyne, Tameside.
Salma Azad, Ikea’s area manager, expressed that after a thorough assessment, the closure decision for the Ikea Plan and Order Point at Merseyway Shopping Centre was made. Valuable insights gained over the two years since the opening will be utilized for future store openings to better serve customers.
The recent opening of Ikea’s new store on Oxford Street in London, occupying three floors of a seven-story building, marks the brand’s second smaller format store. This follows the Hammersmith branch’s launch in 2023. With approximately 6,000 product lines available, only 3,500 products are for immediate purchase at the Oxford Street store.
Each item at the store is tagged with either yellow or red labels, indicating whether it can be bought and taken home or if it requires ordering for delivery or click and collect services.
Peter Jelkeby, CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer at IKEA UK, emphasized the familiarity and new exclusive features of the store tailored for Londoners. The store’s opening was a highly anticipated moment following extensive renovations.
Tolga Öncü, Ingka Retail Manager (COO) at IKEA Retail (Ingka Group), highlighted the significance of adding Oxford Street to the Ikea store map, emphasizing the brand’s commitment to expanding its retail footprint to reach more customers in city centers globally.