Ingka Group, the Dutch-based holding that owns the majority of Ikea furniture stores worldwide, plans to spend over €3 bn by the end of 2023 to modify new and existing stores in line with e-commerce needs.
The plans effectively mean that many out-of-town Ikea stores will double up as online distribution centres, making delivery of goods to the customer faster, cheaper and more environmentally sustainable.
The first new Ikea store adapted for online shopping will open in Nice in the south of France on 11 May.
It is preceded by the redesigned store in Kuopio, Finland, where online customers can receive their orders in half the time and with 40% lower delivery costs for pick-up parcels.
Tolga Öncü, retail operations manager at Ingka Group, said: ‘With this investment we aim to secure the long-term viability of our business by making Ikea more accessible, more affordable and more sustainable. We see many of our stores playing a dual role, giving our customers the best of both physical and online retailing and the investment will support not only an inspiring in-store Ikea experience but also a faster and more affordable shipping of online orders directly from our stores.’
Two new city stores in Stockholm and Toronto will offer 2,000 products for immediate takeaway, while larger furniture items will be available for home delivery.
Also, in Canada, a new distribution centre in Quebec and a planning studio in Montreal are planned.
Ingka Group is investing €1.2 bn in London, including in the Oxford Street store, for new services, and a distribution centre in Dartford that will offer 24-hour home delivery.
A third city store will open in Madrid, in addition to the existing five stores (two city and three traditional).
Ingka Group invested over €2.1 bn over the past three years in existing and new stores across its 32 markets. Since September 2021, 16 new small and large Ikea stores have opened.
