Ikea has delayed the opening of its Oxford Street store to fix leaks in the building’s basement.
It is the second time the store, which previously housed Topshop’s flagship London site, has seen its opening delayed.
Ingka Investment, the retail group’s investment arm, bought the Grade II listed building at 214 Oxford Street after Topshop owner Arcadia fell into administration.
Work on the site began in 2022, with original plans to open in autumn 2023.
However, last year, Ikea revealed that this date had been pushed back to autumn 2024 due to the scale of the renovation work.
Delay: Ikea said the store will not open until spring 2025 due to the “hugely complex” nature of the renovation.
On Friday, the Swedish furniture and home goods giant said the store will not open until spring 2025 due to the “hugely complex” nature of the renovation. He said work on the building’s seven floors had seen “significant progress” but had faced “unexpected conditions” during the process.
Ikea said it recently discovered the need to carry out additional unplanned work on the lower level of two basements to control a water leak. The work is underway.
Peter Jelkeby, chief executive and chief sustainability officer at Ikea UK, said: “The historic nature of the building makes its careful renovation more complex, but we want to reassure Londoners that we are as excited to open the store as they are to open the store. store”. visit her.’
