Ikea to spend €3bn on stores as part of e-commerce drive

Furniture retailer to modify out-of-town stores so they can also become distribution centres for online purchases

Ikea has adapted to the rise in online shopping by developing smaller stores, revamping its website and rolling out a new app as well as digital services such as remote planning tools.

Ikea retailer Ingka is spending €3bn through 2023 on new and existing stores, much of it to modify its trademark out-of-town outlets so they can double up as e-commerce distribution centres.

Tolga Oncu, retail manager at the group which owns most Ikea stores worldwide, said the money would be spent across all regions, though about a third is earmarked for London, a test-bed for new store formats and logistics set-ups.