IKEA: furniture firm opening new UK stores in ex-Homebase locations - including Chester, Harlow, and Norwich

• IKEA is launching ‘small-format’ stores as part of its UK expansion strategy
• The new stores will offer a curated product range, design services, and click-and-collect
• Customers can expect around 5,000 products, with 3,000 available for immediate purchase
• A compact ‘on-the-go’ food menu will be available, featuring IKEA’s famous meatballs
• While more locations haven’t been confirmed, further expansion is likely in the future

An iconic Swedish furniture brand has acquired several former Homebase locations, with plans to introduce a new small-format store concept across the UK.

Homeware giant IKEA has secured three sites in busy retail parks, and will be offering “the classic IKEA experience that customers know and love, on a smaller scale” in the near future.

Where are the new small-format IKEA stores?

The new stores are the latest addition to IKEA’s growing portfolio of smaller-format locations in the UK, and will feature a curated product selection, planning and design services, and click-and-collect options.

Each store will showcase around 5,000 products, with 3,000 available for immediate purchase and the rest available to order.

Customers at the new stores will also find a food offering, including what IKEA calls a “compact on-the-go food menu for customers to take away” - featuring its beloved meatballs.

The new small-format IKEA stores are set to open in the following locations:

• Chester
• Harlow
• Norwich

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The opening dates for the new IKEA stores will be announced soon, and they will become part of IKEA’s existing network of 21 full-size stores across the UK.

IKEA UK and Ireland chief executive Peter Jelkeby said: “Harlow, Chester, and Norwich have long been areas of interest to us, and we’re looking forward to bringing the very best of the IKEA experience in a refreshingly compact format to these communities later this year.”

Will more IKEA stores open in former Homebase locations?

The news stores are the latest addition to IKEA’s growing portfolio of smaller-format locations in the UK. They form part of the retailer’s expansion strategy to be closer to where customers live, work, socialise, and shop.

Jelkeby added: “We know many people want to shop with IKEA but in some instances we are just too far away. That’s why we are strategically expanding our UK footprint, with the aim of showing up in convenient, accessible locations for our customers.”

The announcement comes ahead of the highly anticipated opening of IKEA’s Oxford Street store in London on May 1, with another city-centre location set to launch in Brighton later this year.

While there are no further details on additional small-format stores opening in former Homebase locations, given IKEA’s approach, it’s reasonable to assume the company may be keeping an eye out for more potential sites.

Although nothing has been confirmed, it seems likely that additional small-format stores could be introduced throughout the UK in the future.

What do you think about IKEA’s move to smaller stores across the UK? Will this new format make shopping more convenient for you? Let us know your thoughts and which locations you'd love to see next in the comments section.