IKEA will open several smaller shops in the Netherlands next year, selling items such as tableware and lighting, while no similar plans have been announced for Belgium.
A spokesperson for the furniture retailer confirmed the move to Dutch news agency ANP. The new shops will be between 2,000 and 2,500 square metres in size, roughly comparable to a supermarket.
Related News
- Brussels landlords update rent scale: What does this mean?
- Reading the room: Brussels bookshops turn the page
- French supermarket chain Intermarché considering a return to Flanders
That is far smaller than IKEA’s main Dutch stores, which range from 35,000 to 40,000 square metres. Because of their smaller footprint, the new outlets will not have showrooms or self-service warehouses.
The first of the shops are due to open in the middle of next year, and IKEA is expected to launch around five locations. It has not yet been decided where the new shops will be located. IKEA currently operates 13 large stores in the Netherlands.
In Belgium, the company has no plans at present to open similar smaller shops. A spokesperson told Belga that IKEA still sees other opportunities for expansion in Belgium, including external lockers.
