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Why retailers like Ikea are going big on small stores
Ikea’s 43,000-square-foot format carries 2,700 items, part of a broader retail shift toward compact stores in dense Canadian markets.
Ikea is opening a 43,000-square-foot store at London, Ontario's White Oaks Mall this fall, moving away from traditional 300,000-square-foot warehouse models to reach urban shoppers, area manager Janet McGowan said.
Retailers are targeting busy city centers to reach time-pressed urbanites who lack cars and cannot travel to suburban warehouses, according to Toronto-based retail consultant Elisha Ballantyne, who noted smaller footprints overcome space constraints.
Ikea curates local inventory—slender furniture for condos and live plants—while cutting play centers and kitchen planning areas; unavailable items are available online, maintaining brand relevance without massive real estate.
Major retailers including Sephora, Best Buy, and Bell Canada have launched small-format stores in recent years, though Ikea shuttered a Scarborough Town Centre location earlier this year after it failed to meet performance expectations.
McGowan argues smaller stores are a win-win, reducing new site setup times by 25 per cent and lowering investment costs, creating a realistic, scalable model for Ikea's global retail expansion.