Ikea has announced the closure of one of its stores, just two years after its initial opening. The Swedish furniture giant will be shutting down its Plan and Order point situated at the Stockport Merseyway Shopping Centre on June 16.

The Ikea Plan and Order points are smaller establishments that specialize in kitchen, bedroom, and living room planning services, providing customers with design assistance. While purchases cannot be taken home directly from these points, orders can be placed for home delivery. The nearest Ikea store is located in Ashton-under-Lyne in Tameside.

Salma Azad, Ikea’s area manager, expressed regret over the decision to close the Ikea Plan and Order Point at Merseyway Shopping Centre, citing the insights gained over the two years of operation. The learnings will be utilized in future openings to enhance the shopping experience for customers.

In recent news, Ikea launched its new store on Oxford Street in London, taking over the former TopShop site. The store occupies three floors of a seven-story building, covering the ground and two lower ground floors, with a retail area of 5,800 square meters.

This Oxford Street store is the second smaller format Ikea outlet, following the Hammersmith branch that opened in 2023. With approximately 6,000 product lines, only 3,500 items are available for immediate purchase. Products are labeled with yellow or red tags to indicate whether they can be bought on-site or need to be ordered for delivery or click-and-collect.

Peter Jelkeby, IKEA UK’s CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer, highlighted the store’s unique features tailored for London customers. Tolga Öncü, Ingka Retail Manager (COO) at IKEA Retail (Ingka Group), emphasized the significance of adding Oxford Street to the Ikea portfolio, aiming to bring Ikea’s well-designed and affordable products to urban centers worldwide.