Ikea plan-and-order outlet opens in Cork

The Douglas outlet offers people the chance to meet with a planning specialist and plan out the design for any room in their home.

Ikea's new plan-and-order outlet will open its doors in the Douglas Village shopping centre this morning.

News of the Swedish company's arrival in Cork was met with excitement when it was revealed last month.

The Douglas outlet offers people the chance to meet with a planning specialist and plan out the design for any room in their home.

Previously, people from Cork would have to travel up to Dublin to do this.

This will be the fourth plan-and-order outlet to be opened by Ikea as part of their national expansion plans.

The furnishing and homeware giant plans to open more later this year as it aims to make shopping with them easier and more sustainable.

From today, Cork customers can book a free appointment with one of Ikea's interior designers online. During the appointment, the designers use 3D design technology to show how the design will look.

Once the design has been agreed upon, products can be ordered for delivery straight to the person's home or a location of their choice.

The Cork outlet will be open Monday to Friday with late-night shopping on Wednesday and Thursday.

"This new Plan and Order Point means that they instead can meet us to plan kitchens and other areas of their home in their local area. An exciting first step on bringing IKEA closer to our customers in southern Ireland," said Martyn Allan, Ikea Marketing Manager in Ireland.

Ikea previously announced it would be opening its first Irish Customer Distribution Centre in west Dublin early next year.

The 450,000sq ft facility will create 120 jobs and will enable Ikea to process online orders directly from Ireland, increasing product availability and cutting delivery times in half.