And finally…Ikea hits the high street

The first of the new format stores will be tested at three small locations in the UK as it seeks to make itself more accessible to consumers.

The first trial is a 19,000 sq ft ‘order and collect’ store in Norwich that will open in the autumn and act as a studio where customers can plan complex purchases such as kitchens.

Ikea UK country manager Gillian Drakeford said the small formats will not act as a “replacement” for upcoming big-box stores, which have struggled with planning permission.

Ms Drakeford said: “We need to start testing . That is one of the areas where many UK retailers have been at the forefront and now it is Ikea’s turn to do that. But it will always be as a complement to the store portfolio.”

She added it was an exciting time for Ikea in the UK because it last opened a store six years ago in Southampton. The small format trial is part of a global initiative and Ikea is also trialling similar stores in Pamplona, Spain, Tromsø in Norway and Jyväskylä in Finland.

In the Norwich outlet, which is less than a tenth the size of its existing UK stores, customers who order in store will have the option of having products delivered to their homes or to the store for pick-up.

Drakeford believes click-and-collect will launch in small format stores eventually, but only once it has launched in larger stores first, after the retailer completes a global IT infrastructure overhaul.

A café will also feature in the Norwich store, which aims to be a place to “inspire” customers about their kitchens, living rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms.