Ikea
This coverage examines Ikea’s operations and strategy within the UK retail market, including store developments, product launches, sustainability initiatives, and leadership decisions. Reporting focuses on how Ikea adapts its business model, supply chain, and customer experience to meet market demands — offering insight for executives, managers, and professionals engaged in homeware, furniture, and large-format retail.
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Oct- 2025 -30 OctoberHigh Street
West End festive sales expected to rise 1.3% to £1.7bn
London’s West End is expected to post a 1.3% rise in festive season sales this year, with total spending over November and December forecast to reach £1.7bn, according to the New West End Company. The business partnership said flight bookings to London across the two months were up 2.8% on…
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22 OctoberFeatures
The Cotswold Company: when success spurs a sale
When a private equity firm begins preparing to sell a company performing at its peak, it can seem counterintuitive. Yet reports that True, the private equity owner of The Cotswold Company, has appointed Arrowpoint Advisory to explore a potential sale suggest a strategic play. It’s one that reveals as much…
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17 OctoberDIY
Ikea UK FY sales fall 2.1% to £2.25bn despite strong final quarter
Ikea UK has reported retail sales of £2.25bn for the 2025 financial year, a 2.1% decrease on the previous year’s £2.30bn. The retailer said the performance comes despite seeing sales strengthen in the final quarter, rising 3.3%, with the trend continuing into September 2025. Ikea added that amid limited national…
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Sep- 2025 -30 SeptemberDIY
Ikea launches Life at Home services
Ikea has launched a suite of services under a new “Life at Home” banner, expanding into areas beyond furniture retail. The initiative launches with three services available nationwide, including Home Move and Setup, Energy Services, and the Ikea Family Credit Card. The Home Move and Setup service, delivered in partnership…
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Aug- 2025 -27 AugustComment
Is M&S signalling a structural shift in property strategy?
Mainstream retailers are increasingly treading on the discounters’ turf – and it appears that out-of-town retail parks are now the prime battleground. Few recent examples demonstrate this as clearly as Marks & Spencer’s strategy, which is pivoting its food hall rollout toward retail park sites in order to compete directly…
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22 AugustHigh Street
Retail bosses urge chancellor to cut industry tax burden in Budget
More than 60 retail leaders have written to the chancellor ahead of the Autumn Budget, warning that rising costs are driving up prices and threatening jobs. Chief executives from companies including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Aldi, Asda, Boots and Ikea signed the letter, which calls for a reduction in business rates for…
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Jul- 2025 -24 JulyDIY
IKEA opens first new small-format store in Harlow as part of UK expansion
IKEA has opened a new small-format store in Harlow, Essex, the first of three such sites due this year, just over 100 days after acquiring the lease. The new store, which opened on 24 July, is located in a retail park and designed to offer a quicker and more accessible…
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Jun- 2025 -17 JuneHigh Street
Oxford Street pedestrianisation gets go-ahead
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has revealed that the planned pedestrianisation of Oxford Street has been given the green light. The mayor’s office stated that its consultation showed that around seven in 10 back the Oxford Street transformation plans, with two-thirds specifically supporting the idea of pedestrianisation. Alongside this, major…
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May- 2025 -27 MayHigh Street
Oxford Street vacancies drop below pre-pandemic levels
The rate of vacancies on Oxford Street in London has fallen to 0.5%, the first time it has fallen below 1% since before the pandemic, according to data from Savills. Savills attributed this to an undersupply of quality vacant space, noting that good quality retail space has become “increasingly constrained”.…
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1 MayDepartment Stores
Ikea officially opens Oxford Street store
Ikea has today (1 May) announced the opening of its Oxford Street store in London. A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place at 10am, with Peter Jelkeby, CEO and chief sustainability officer Ikea UK and Ireland, joined by Ikea co-workers, store manager Matt Gould, Sir Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, and Ambassador…
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