Ikea unveils plans for city store in Brighton’s Churchill Square

Ikea owner Ingka Centres has acquired the freehold for Brighton’s main shopping centre, Churchill Square, and will open a smaller-format city store in the former Debenhams unit.

The 6,000 sq m store, which will follow a similar layout to the retailer’s Hammersmith and Oxford Street stores, will display around 6,000 products. Around 3,000 of these will be available to take home, while the full range will be available for home delivery via electric vehicles. 

The store will also feature planning services for kitchens and bathrooms, as well as a Swedish Deli where shoppers can buy the brand’s range of dishes including meatballs and hotdogs.

There is no opening date confirmed for the location as yet, but Retail Week understands it will be after the Oxford Street branch, which is expected to open in autumn 2024.  

Ikea UK and Ireland country retail manager Peter Jelkeby said: “We’re delighted to continue expanding and investing throughout the UK to make it easier and more sustainable for people to shop at Ikea.

“Sussex has long been an area of interest to us and we really look forward to bringing Ikea closer to where our customers live, work and socialise, and becoming a part of this vibrant community.”

Ingka Centres has also purchased Chartwell Court, a residential tower block on the site, two attached car parks and a leasehold on a third car park.

Churchill Square is the primary shopping centre in Brighton, located on the main shopping high street next to the seafront. Resident retailers in the centre include Inditex, Apple, Next and H&M. 

Ingka Centres plans to “adapt the retail offer to community needs” and invest in infrastructure, with improvements such as increased electric vehicle charging points in the works.

“Brighton is known as a welcoming and progressive city, so it is a real privilege to take up responsibility for delivering a revitalised meeting place, of which the many people can be truly proud,” it said. 

“We are excited to strengthen our portfolio with a well-established shopping destination in the heart of the vibrant and growing city of Brighton and Hove.

“It fits perfectly into our global expansion strategy, allowing us to transform a traditional retail space to a meeting place that is much more than just a place to shop.”