Store gallery: Ikea’s first compact retail park store in Harlow

As Retail Week revealed earlier this year, the new format is considerably smaller than its big-box stores and designed to suit retail park locations. 

Ikea Harlow, formerly the site of a Homebase store, was opened just 100 days after the lease was acquired. The quick-to-open format is set to open in units in Norwich and Chester later this year. 

According to Ikea, these stores “offer a simpler, faster shopping experience for customers” with a “compact layout that is easy to navigate and designed for everyday convenience”. 

Inside, customers will find the retailer’s typical room sets and will be able to take home a large selection of small furniture on the same day, or order larger products for home delivery or free next-day collection. 

A pre-loved section allows shoppers to take home secondhand Ikea products. Planning service stations for kitchens and bedroom storage are included in the new format. 

The retailer has also implemented its hot food offer, with takeaway Swedish meatballs and hot dogs available to be “enjoyed on the go”. 

Ikea UK and Ireland chief executive and chief sustainability officer Peter Jelkeby said: “The opening of Ikea Harlow marks an exciting milestone as we explore new ways to bring Ikea closer to our customers. We are opening our doors just over 100 days after acquiring the lease to the site, having made use of the existing structure to get our store ready at pace.”

“By continuously reviewing and adapting our store formats, we aim to offer a more personalised and accessible retail experience. These new small-format stores fit seamlessly into our wider omnichannel strategy, ensuring our physical and digital channels work together to meet the diverse needs of our customers.”

The retailer said 2025 was a landmark year for its expansion, with plans to open a further two Plan and Order points in Dundee and York, small stores in Norwich and Chester, as well as a new city store in Brighton. 

Earlier this year, Ikea opened a new Plan and Order point Hull and the long-awaited Ikea City store on London’s Oxford Street.