Artist's impression of the new small format IKEA in Kings Mall, Hammersmith
IKEA UK has announced plans to open a unique, new small store format in Hammersmith, focused on making its home furnishing range easier to buy than ever before.
To reflect changing shopping habits and the rise in urbanisation, Ingka Group plans to bring IKEA to city centres around the world. The new store format in Hammersmith comes as Ingka Centres and IKEA UK, both part of Ingka Group, move forward with these plans, making the IKEA offer accessible to many more people living in London.
Last year, IKEA UK opened their most sustainable store to date in Greenwich, and two Planning Studios in London – one on Tottenham Court Road and another in Bromley. The store in Hammersmith will mark a whole new format for the city.
Cllr Stephen Cowan, Leader of Hammersmith & Fulham Council, said: “We’re very pleased Hammersmith will benefit from having Britain’s first IKEA city store. The new Ingka Centre will help rejuvenate King Street and improve our neighbourhood for all our residents and local businesses. We’re delighted to benefit from this huge investment and look forward to working with Ingka Centres, our residents and the wider community to deliver something really special here.”
Peter Jelkeby, Country Retail Manager and Chief Sustainability Officer at IKEA UK & Ireland, commented: “Our plan to open a new city centre store in Hammersmith is an exciting next-step, as we continue to respond to people’s evolving shopping habits, making IKEA more convenient than ever before.
“People have been eager to see our affordable range and access our life at home expertise on the high-street for some time, so we’re excited to introduce a unique IKEA store to the vibrant local community in Hammersmith.”
Taking inspiration from life at home in London, the store will feature IKEA’s entire product range available to buy from the store for home delivery, and more than 2,000 home furnishing accessories available to take away on the same day. This will be the first time that IKEA’s home furnishing accessories will be available to buy on the UK high street. And for those who find a trip to IKEA isn’t complete without some meatballs, fear not, as there will be a Swedish food offer in Kings Mall.
Set to open in Spring 2021, the opening follows the shopping centre’s acquisition by Ingka Centres – its first in the UK – which aims to transform traditional shopping centres into convenient city meeting places to reinvigorate the high street based on community needs and aspirations.
Ingka Centres will work with the local community in Hammersmith to regenerate King Street, on which the shopping centre is located, bringing new life and an approximately £170million investment to the area for customers, co-workers and the wider community.
Gerard Groener, Managing Director, Ingka Centres, commented: “Our urban projects are all about getting closer to more people. More of our customers are living in cities than ever before, and a regenerated Kings Mall will be an ideal location for reaching millions of Londoners.”
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