Ikea opens flagship Oxford Street store
Ikea has opened its flagship store on London’s Oxford Street, as the retailer looks to expand its presence within city centres.
The Swedish homeware retailer’s new store at 214 Oxford Street opens after an extensive refurbishment of the Grade II-listed building by Ingka Investments, the investment arm of Ikea’s owner Ingka Group.
Ikea on Oxford Street spans 62,431 sq ft across three floors, occupying the ground and two lower ground levels of the building. It features a showroom, a market-hall with home furnishings accessories, and a Swedish Deli. Customers are also able to make use of delivery services for larger items.
Tolga Öncü, Ingka retail manager at Ikea Retail, said: “Adding Oxford Street to the Ikea map is a special moment for us. This store, on one of the busiest and most well-known streets in the world, exemplifies our ambition to innovate our retail presence and bring Ikea to where our customers live, work, and socialise. Offering our well-designed and affordable products to more people in city centres across the globe remains our way forward.”
The launch follows a number of setbacks for the retailer, with the opening having been initially pushed back to autumn 2024 before again being delayed until now.
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “It’s fantastic news that Ikea is opening a new flagship store on Oxford Street. It’s a huge vote of confidence in London, in our economy and in our plans to rejuvenate Oxford Street and unlock its true potential. Oxford Street is one of the most famous shopping destinations in the world and we want to give it a new lease of life. This involves attracting brilliant companies like Ikea, which will help to create new jobs and increase footfall. We have developed bold proposals to pedestrianise Oxford Street and to establish it as a global leader for shopping, leisure and outdoor events. The consultation on these plans closes on 2 May so I encourage everyone to have their say.”