Ikea will be bringing its mix of meatballs, lampshades and kitchen planning to London’s Oxford Street from 1 May, when the world’s largest furniture retailer finally opens its store 18 months late.
The company said its three-floor outlet, in the former Topshop base, would house a 130-seat Swedish deli and showrooms, as well as offering one-to-one design consultations.
The store will display about 6,000 Ikea products, ranging from Billy bookcases to drinking glasses, and about 3,500 of those will be available to take away on the spot, while the rest can be delivered to homes.
Peter Jelkeby, the chief executive of Ikea’s UK business, said the store was part of the retailer’s efforts to get closer to where its customers live, work and shop, in places accessible by public transport.
“London is an iconic shopping destination, and we are thrilled to now have a home in its centre,” he said. “We have worked carefully to ensure we maintain the character of this historic building while creating a modern retail environment for customers to explore and be inspired.”
The store’s opening is seen as key to hopes for a revival of Oxford Street, which has gradually been rejuvenated after a slump in visitor numbers during the Covid pandemic, after which a number of sites sat vacant while a plethora of cheap American candy shops moved in.
In the past 18 months, the number of vacancies and candy shops have dropped and the street has been boosted by new openings, including HMV – which returned to the site of its original store in November 2023 – and the sportswear brand Under Armour.
Amid a debate over whether the street should be pedestrianised, new stores on their way include a second Mango flagship and the gym operator Third Space as part of The Elephant, a £132m redevelopment of the former House of Fraser store, due to be completed in autumn 2026.
The beauty retailer Space NK is to open alongside Ikea in part of the former Topshop, which also houses an existing Nike store. The upper floors of the building will be rented out as office space.
Ikea’s parent group bought the site, once the jewel in Philip Green’s retail empire, for an estimated £378m in early 2022, but renovations have been dogged by complications.
The Swedish retailer said it had installed new insulation and a heat pump, and dealt with water ingress problems in the basement floors.
The shop will employ 150 people after receiving 3,730 applications in just five days – a record for the retailer – when recruitment opened earlier this year.
