Technology can save the high street and future-proof the entire retail ecosystem March 8, 2019 Ever since the first online transaction over a quarter of a century ago, we’ve been bombarded with a growing number of claims that the high street is dead and online is king. The recent downfall of former offline strongholds such as BHS, Toys R Us, and House of Fraser are often cited as evidence that [...]
Interiors: Laura Ivill reviews the new sustainable Ikea Greenwich on its opening weekend February 15, 2019 Four years in the planning, Ikea Greenwich opened last weekend as the company’s first “sustainable store” in the UK. A pilot ran in Germany, but the Swedish behemoth, the world’s largest homewares retailer, chose SE10 for its new dawn. Billed as taking sustainability to the next level, it opened with a BREEED 'excellent' accreditation for green [...]
Ikea cites rapid change in the retail sector as it cuts 7,500 jobs worldwide November 21, 2018 Ikea will cut 7,500 jobs worldwide over the next two years as it focuses on developing its website and inner-city stores, it said today. The cuts, which include 350 roles in the UK, will not hit the headcount of Ikea's 160,000 employees worldwide as it also plans to add 11,500 new jobs to its global workforce. [...]
DEBATE: Will Ikea’s new small store format in urban centres help save the high street? November 5, 2018 Will Ikea’s new small store format in urban centres help save the high street? Adrian Moorhouse, managing director of Lane4, says YES. Ikea’s experiment with smaller city centre stores is a great example of a brand evolving to stay connected to its customers, by accommodating the changing ways in which people both live and shop. As a lot [...]
Interiors: We learn about Ikea’s new retail strategy behind the scenes of its first store on the UK high street October 19, 2018 What, no meatballs? The opening of Ikea’s first foray into the UK high street, which has just opened on Tottenham Court Road, is a new concept for the uber retailer. The Swedish brand’s familiar blue and yellow sign now reigns over the former Multiyork site just along from Goodge Street station. It’s Ikea, but not [...]
Banking on beds pays off for Ikea UK as annual sales rise to £1.6bn and market share grows to 7.7 per cent November 24, 2015 Retailer Ikea has remained popular on British shores, with Ikea UK today revealing annual sales of £1.6bn for the financial year ended 31 August 2015, up 11 per cent. “We are delighted to have achieved double digit growth for the second year running and to be in our fourth consecutive year of growth here in [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 2 September 2013 September 1, 2013 FINANCIAL TIMES China eyes UK nuclear controls The state-owned Chinese nuclear group that is in talks to invest in Britain’s new nuclear programme wants greater operational control of any new plants it finances, potentially creating a national security headache for the government. China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN), is in talks with EDF of France [...]
In English for the first time, read The Truth About IKEA November 17, 2010 WITH an insider’s knowledge, Johan Stenebo’s controversial book is a remarkable, personal view inside a company that overtook Argos as the UK’s largest home furnishings retailer in 2009 but, after 67 years, only disclosed its profits for the first time last month (worldwide net profit £2.2bn in the year to 31 August 2009). In these [...]