IKEA to test small retail formats (UK)

Home furnishing retailer IKEA announced plans to test a number of new retail formats in the UK. IKEA will explore different Order and Collection Point formats in selected markets, using this as an opportunity to find out more about how customers want to shop in diverse areas. The first Order and Collection Point will open in Norwich this autumn.
For Norwich specifically, the format will act primarily as a planning studio, where customers can speak with home furnishing experts for advice when making more complex purchases, such as kitchens or wardrobes.
Customers will have the opportunity to touch and test the product range and will be able to collect orders made online or in the store. The Norwich Order and Collection Point will also include a café and will have a limited range of products that customers can take home ‘on the day’.
Gillian Drakeford, IKEA UK Country Manager said, “We will start by testing this new format in Norwich. We already have an established online presence in this market but currently our customers in Norfolk have to travel more than two hours to our Lakeside or Milton Keynes stores to see the product range and get planning and design advice. By introducing an Order and Collection Point in this market we are hoping to bridge the gap between online and in-store shopping and offer customers a more personal service locally.”
Source: IKEA