IKEA today opened its highly anticipated Brighton store, marking "an important milestone in the retailer’s strategy to bring its iconic home furnishing range closer to where the many people live, work and shop".
The opening of IKEA Brighton in Churchill Square Shopping Centre was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, attended by Councillor Amanda Grimshaw BEM, alongside the store’s 150-strong team. At 10am, the doors were officially opened for the first customers to explore the brand-new store.
The opening forms part of IKEA’s strategy to expand its presence in city centres with smaller formats, improving accessibility for customers across the UK. The new IKEA Brighton store spans 6695sqm of retail space across two storeys and is designed with the community at its heart, featuring five roomsets co-created with residents to reflect life at home in the city.
Customers can browse a selection of 2600 home furnishing accessories and small furniture items, available for immediate purchase. For larger items, customers can order in-store from IKEA’s full range for home delivery or collection.
IKEA Brighton delivers the traditional IKEA experience, featuring roomsets, a market hall, expert planning consultations for kitchen and bedroom storage, secondhand finds in Re-Shop and Re-use, and IKEA’s dining options, including a 100-seater Swedish Deli restaurant.
Karina Gilpin, market manager at IKEA Brighton, says: “It is fantastic to officially open the doors of our IKEA Brighton store, in the heart of the city. We have had such a warm welcome from the community, and we loved celebrating the opening with our first customers today.
“This store represents our commitment to making IKEA more accessible to city residents. Whether customers visit to explore our inspiring roomsets, plan their dream spaces or simply to enjoy a taste of Sweden, we hope everyone feels at home here.”
Mark Buchanan-Smith, meeting place manager at Churchill Square, Ingka Centres, adds: “We’re incredibly excited to welcome IKEA to Churchill Square as it opens its very first store in Brighton. This long-anticipated moment marks a significant milestone for the city and reflects what our community has been asking for. IKEA will become a crucial part of our Meeting Place experience – helping us create a vibrant destination where people come together to shop, eat, and enjoy meaningful moments in the heart of Brighton and Hove.”
IKEA staff celebrated the store opening with customers. Seagull mascots, a magician and music entertained customers as they queued to be among the first to enter the store. After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, a number of surprises awaited customers in-store, including live music, food and mocktail sampling, a ‘spin the wheel’ game with a range of IKEA vouchers and prizes to be won, and a beach-hut design competition for children.
To mark the opening, IKEA has released a number of special offers. The first 100 IKEA Family members to visit the store received a gift card with values ranging from £1-£1000. Customers who shop at IKEA Brighton in August will also receive a £5 voucher printed on their receipt. This can be used in the store at any time in September, when spending £50.
The Brighton store marks IKEA’s third city-centre location in the UK, following the recent opening of IKEA Oxford Street in London. Churchill Square Shopping Centre is located in the heart of Brighton and is easily accessible for residents by public transport, foot or bike.
IKEA Brighton will be open 10am-8pm Monday to Saturday, and 11am–5pm on Sunday.
