First look at IKEA’s new mini shop opening in London next month

FLAT-PACK furniture giant IKEA has announced it wil be opening a new store in London next month – with a difference.

The Hammersmith branch will have a brand new layout to its sister-stores – but fear not, it’ll still be packed with thousands of faves, including the infamous IKEA meatballs.

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IKEA said the new mini-store will be the first of its kind onthe UK high street, offering up more accessibility for shoppers. 

Currently, Brits in need of stylishly affordable furniture have to take a trip to one of the chains’ 458 warehouses to have a mooch.

You can find your nearest IKEA branch by using the store locator on its website.

The warehouse-style store we know and love follow a maze-style floor plan that guides shoppers around the entire building. 

But with changing spending habits and the evolving British high street, the Swedish retailer has adapted its store formats to keep up with demand.

The new city store, which is set to open February 24, will ditch the maze aesthetic and opt for an open-plan design instead.

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Naturally, it won’t be anywhere near the size of the warehouses – it’s approximately a quarter of the size of a traditional IKEA store at 4,600 square metres, and is set to span across two floors. 

What are the opening times?

The store officially opens on February 24 at 10am, but will be open to shoppers from 9am thereafter. 

Opening hours at existing IKEA stores can vary, so it’s best to check online before heading out. 

What can I get there?

Don’t be fooled by its smaller size – the Hammersmith store has been designed with convenience in mind, meaning there’ll be lots of products that shoppers can grab.

In total, the mini shop will have 4,000 product lines on offer, with 1,800 available to take home the same day.  

There will be a stronger focus on home accessories and soft furnishings, while bigger pieces can be ordered for home delivery or delivery to a nearby collection point. 

Delivery prices range from £2 to £50 depending on the size of the item and where you’re delivering it to.

Smaller parcel deliveries to external DPD pick up points are £2, while delivery to home is £4.

Larger delivery options are £40, or £50 if you choose express delivery.

Will there be food?

Yes. And the new store will see the launch of a new food exclusive to IKEA Hammersmith.

A Swedish Deli will serve hot and cold traditional Swedish delicacies, including Smörrebröd open sandwiches, Nordic Chicken Caesar and Swedish Mazarin. 

And we can’t forget the nations’ favourite – IKEA’s traditional meatballs.

The store will also offer plant balls as a veggie option, which have just 4% of the carbon footprint of their meat equivalent. 

Customers have the opportunity to dine-in or takeaway.

The Deli will open at 8am on weekdays, to allow busy commuters to ‘grab and go’. 

Is there anything that won’t be available? 

Apart from a reduced product range, the new store has many similarities to those shoppers are already familiar with.

But there will be no infamous market hall in the mini-shop due to the new format and size. 

Instead, products will be placed next to the roomsets that they represent to encourage customers to buy products similar to those that they already have in mind.

What about the Buy Back scheme?

To increase sustainability, IKEA offers people the chance to bring back their used IKEA furniture once they’re done with it to avoid secondhand goods going to waste.

Simply fill out the buy back estimator form online, get a quote on your old IKEA furniture, then take it to the store and you could get upto 50% of the original value back.

Similarly, the new store will feature a small circular hub, where customers will be able to access IKEA’s popular buy-back service.

This enables them to trade in selected used furniture for IKEA vouchers and purchase pre-loved items that can be taken home that day, helping to make sustainable living more accessible and affordable to many.

One couple loved IKEA so much they named their child after the homewares brand, and it caused her plenty of fuss. 

Elsewhere, a couple relatively new to the IKEA ordeal made a simple embarrassing mistake that amused plenty of surrounding shoppers. 

If you don’t live near an IKEA and are fed up of hearing how incredible the meatballs are, ICELAND are selling their own version which have striking similarities.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk