Mirror Money editor Levi Winchester was one of the first shoppers to visit the new Ikea Oxford Street store after it finally opened its doors today
IKEA opens new store on Oxford Street
Ikea finally opened the doors to its much-anticipated Oxford Street store today, with shoppers queuing outside first thing this morning to be among the first to get inside.
As I make my way toward the new central London location, the first thing I notice is that it is much smaller than your typical Ikea store.
The space that Ikea has taken over from Topshop is just 5,800sqm over three floors, compared to other Ikea locations which average 30,000sqm in size.
It is designed to be on the high street and is the second smaller format Ikea store, following the Hammersmith branch which opened its doors in 2023.
As this is a smaller store, you can’t typically buy larger furniture items to take away on the same day. Each item is labelled with either a yellow or red tag, to indicate whether you can buy and take it away from the store, or whether you need to order it for home delivery or click and collect.
There are around 6,000 product lines in the Oxford Street store but only 3,500 products are available to take home. If it doesn’t fit inside the iconic blue Ikea tote bag, then you’ll likely need to order it.
To do this, there are handy check points throughout the store where you can place your order for larger items. Home delivery starts at £5 for a small parcel under 15KG, going up to £45 for heavier items.
As you step into the ground floor of the Oxford Street branch, there are curated shops created by regular London families, who have been asked to pick products from Ikea that show off their style. These are changed multiple times a year.
But when you head downstairs to the next floor, the space suddenly opens up like a Tardis, and you begin to feel like you’re in Ikea. This is where the showrooms are for your next kitchen and living room, with arrows showing you which way to go.
There are fewer showrooms than your regular sized Ikea, but still enough for you to browse and get inspiration. If there is one thing Ikea is also known for, beside its flatpack furniture, its meatballs.
Shoppers will be pleased to know that the Oxford Street branch does include a restaurant, which is located on the same floor as its showrooms – and you can even order your meatballs for takeaway. If you want to sit in, the deli is equipped with 130 seats.
Ikea believes some shoppers will visit this store purely just to grab a bite to eat. The final floor is located in the basement and this is where you pay for your shopping – but you’ll notice there are no manned tills – only self-checkouts.
You can also use the “scan ang go” function on the Ikea app. In a global first for Ikea, the Oxford Street store features a Live Studio where the retailer can host interactive experiences and exhibitions for local events.
The new store also comes with a Re-Shop and Re-Use section, which is where you can buy cheaper second-hand and discontinued Ikea products.
