Smaller IKEA to Debut This Year

IKEA (Leiden, Netherlands) will unveil its smallest store later this year in London, Ontario, according to the Toronto Star. The test store could serve as a model for urban expansion for Ikea, the world’s largest furniture maker.

While a typical IKEA location ranges from 260,000 to 340,000 square feet, the 20,000-square-foot London pick-up center will carry a pared-down number of items for immediate purchase as well as 10 tablets on-site for customers to shop IKEA online. The location will also offer services including merchandise pickup, home delivery, assembly, planning, returns and exchanges and online sales support.

IKEA has had recent success with smaller stores in Norway and Spain. More stores will allow the company to offer home delivery less expensively, a company representative told the Toronto Star.

The new store format will feature five bathroom and four kitchen displays, three bed displays, four wardrobe displays, 75 home furnishings displays, eight planning desks, and material and finish samples. Outside, the location will feature IKEA’s iconic blue and yellow exterior.