The Swedish furniture giant Ikea wants to expand its range and is testing spaces for third-party providers in its furniture stores. In the UK, parent company Ingka Group has confirmed that French sporting goods retailer Decathlon will be among the brands trialling a shop-in-shop concept.
In the spring, the sporting goods retailer will open a standalone 1,188 square foot (around 110 square meter) unit at Ikea’s London store in Croydon. This is the first pilot project as part of the cooperation concept.
In this space, Decathlon will offer a curated selection of more than 5,000 products. The range includes, among other things, equipment for hiking, camping, running and fitness.
The circular economy is at the heart of the concept. In addition to a click & collect service for customers, the location will also offer a buyback program.
In a statement, Mónica Cedres, London City Leader at Decathlon UK, said the new Ikea site in Croydon “represents a bold step in our mission to help more people in the UK and Ireland lead an active lifestyle.”
“This is the next step in our retail journey to create a personalized local destination where our passionate team of sports experts can help customers rediscover or rediscover their new favorite activity,” added Cedres.
The opening of the Decathlon space is part of Ikea’s broader expansion strategy. The company opened seven new stores in the UK last year, including smaller locations in the city centers of London and Brighton.
The retailer is also opening up new business areas in other regions. There is already a partnership with the electronics retailer Kjell & Company in two Swedish branches. In addition, the discounter for household goods Thomas Philipps will soon open in Austria.
“Our goal is to become more accessible than ever before and give customers more reasons to visit – no matter where they are in their home journey,” said Javier Quiñones, Commercial Manager at Ingka Group Ikea. “By testing new uses for our sales spaces together with other retailers, we want to develop our furniture stores into inviting destinations. They should reflect what customers want today: comfort, inspiration and an expanded offering.”
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