Store tour: Exploring Ikea’s Brighton opening with UK chief executive Peter Jelkeby

It’s a sunny Thursday morning in Brighton and the Churchill Square shopping is already packed. Steel drums provide a soundtrack for the queue of hundreds of people equipped with Swedish flags, while two mascots dressed as seagulls entertain the crowd. Yes, it could only be the opening of a brand new Ikea store.

The ribbon has been cut and excited shoppers pile into the two-floor, 6,695 sq m store that was once a Debenhams. 

It’s hard to predict the number of people who have turned up for the opening, but Ikea UK chief executive Peter Jelkeby tells Retail Week he expected a huge turnout.

“I don’t want to sound arrogant, but the opening has been in the air for a while, so I did expect a lot of people,” he says.

While the opening of the Oxford Street store earlier this year garnered massive media attention that Jelkeby says was similar to a “movie premiere”, he says the opening of the Brighton store seems equally as busy.

Once in, shoppers are guided up the escalators to the first floor, where the designs reflect the local community.

Showrooms of bedrooms, living rooms and kitchens epitomise the city’s vibrancy. Keep walking and you’ll see signposts telling shoppers what to expect from a particular room.

The living room area boasts a variety of colourful sofas and cushions, along with cabinets, bookcases and shelving units.

Continue on level one, and double beds, mattresses, lamps, bedding, wardrobes and storage space can be found. 

The bathroom and kitchen area are also located on this floor, showcasing sinks, ovens, appliances, taps, glass cabinets and wall panels.

For those who want a break from shopping, the 100-seater Swedish deli offers delicacies such as Ikea’s famous Swedish meatballs, as well as fish and chips for under £7.

Moving to the ground floor, there is a section of “£3 or less” products, including plates, tupperware, containers and lint rollers.

Jelkeby says there are options for customers to browse in-store and then order online and get it delivered to their home.

“It’s a journey of evolution,” he explains. “We want you to have the same shopping experience as in a larger store, while having services such as deliveries or collections that cater to your needs.”

A collection of 2,600 smaller products is located downstairs, such as textiles, rugs, home electronics, posters, plants and kitchen furniture. 

These are available for immediate purchase, whereas the full 12,000 in-store product range is available for home delivery or collection.

One of the busiest areas in the shop is the market hall, adorned with items such as salt and pepper shakers, cheese graters, oven mitts and other cookware.

There is also a re-shop and re-use area for customers to buy or sell pre-owned, returned or discontinued Ikea furniture at a lower price, to promote circularity and reduce waste.

The retailer is showing no signs of slowing down following the openings in Brighton, London’s Oxford Street, and a smaller-format store in Harlow, Essex.

Jelkeby says another smaller, quick-to-open Ikea store will open in Norwich at the end of August, with an opening in Chester afetr that.

“These will be similar to Harlow – a bit more simplistic, cost-effective and we can move in quite quickly,” he says.

“It will still offer that experience of a showroom but more condensed and considered. This is the way to go with a smaller town, but for Brighton, this is the perfect size for the city.”

Time will tell how the Brighton store will perform and resonate with local shoppers, but if the opening is anything to go by, this could be one of Ikea’s most popular UK stores.