Ikea reveals future of Nottingham store - after announcing first closure of a big UK outlet

Ikea says it has ‘no plans’ to close its Nottingham store, following the Swedish flat-pack furniture giant’s decision to shut an outlet in Coventry.
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In what will be the chain’s first closure of a big UK branch, the store in the West Midlands will cease trading this summer.

The store has made ‘consistent losses’ since it opened in 2007, bosses said, and visitor numbers were lower than expected.

The closure will affect 352 workers. Ikea is trying to find them jobs at other stores.

Ikea Nottingham.Ikea Nottingham.
Ikea Nottingham.

The firm normally builds shops on sprawling, out-of-town sites, but Coventry’s is in the city centre.

Nottingham's Ikea at Giltbrook Retail Park opened in August, 1997 – the sixth ever store to open in the UK.

And, in 2018 the store when under a £25m revamp, including a bigger restaurant and showroom.

An Ikea spokesman said: “Today, we have no plans for further store closures. The UK remains a key market and as such we have ambitious growth plans and will continue to invest in stores, fulfilment centres, city centre formats and our digital capabilities to make IKEA even more affordable, convenient and sustainable.

“We also continue to invest in and test new physical touchpoints to learn about and adapt to ever-changing customer needs which we constantly review if they are fit for purpose.

“The reality for Ikea Coventry is that we now know that this was the wrong type of unit for the location as it is neither a high street store nor a more traditional Ikea store.”