{"id":831,"date":"2025-05-01T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-01T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/originalholdum.com\/?p=831"},"modified":"2025-05-16T15:47:03","modified_gmt":"2025-05-16T15:47:03","slug":"i-visited-the-brand-new-oxford-street-ikea-before-it-opened-theres-just-one-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/originalholdum.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/01\/i-visited-the-brand-new-oxford-street-ikea-before-it-opened-theres-just-one-problem\/","title":{"rendered":"I visited the brand new Oxford Street IKEA before it opened \u2014 there\u2019s just one problem"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Some of you won\u2019t be happy (Picture: supplied)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I\u2019m giddy as I walk through the doors of IKEA<\/a>\u2019s brand new home: the grade II listed 214 Oxford Street<\/a> store.<\/p>\n

It looks vastly different from when it was \u2018big Topshop<\/a>\u2019, the millennial dreamland that closed its doors in January 2021.<\/p>\n

Just 10 months later, IKEA<\/a> bought the site, and we\u2019ve been waiting for its grand opening ever since.<\/p>\n

Today is finally that day. Taking up just three of the building\u2019s seven floors, this new store marks the start of IKEA\u2019s journey to open smaller inner-city spaces \u2013 a move away from the gigantic warehouse-style shops you find in retail parks across the UK, and beyond.<\/p>\n

I was one of the lucky few to get a peek inside the new IKEA before it opened \u2013 there\u2019s Billy bookcases and meatballs (of course), and even some brand new merch. <\/p>\n

The one problem though? You won\u2019t find any staff at the tills, as yet another retailer opts for self-check out<\/a> tech over good old fashioned human interaction.<\/p>\n

Did it dampen my IKEA experience? Here\u2019s everything you need to know about the brand new store.<\/p>\n

First impressions<\/h2>\n

As you walk in at street level, you\u2019re welcomed by a big \u2018Hej!\u2019 sign and IKEA\u2019s \u2018curated shops\u2019, essentially four shopping edits chosen by London<\/a> families, based on their real wants and needs \u2013 think collections for those WFH or living in a basement flat.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a humble brag from the Swedish retailer to prove that they know exactly what we want here in the capital. Multiple times a year, new Londoners will be invited to curate their own product selection.<\/p>\n

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The entrance to IKEA Oxford Street with the curated collections on the right (Picture: supplied)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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@alicepalace6<\/a> <\/p>\n

Have you been to the Oxford Street IKEA yet? \ud83d\udc40 #london<\/a> #ikea<\/a> #oxfordstreet<\/a> #londonlife<\/a> <\/p>\n

\u266c Walking Around \u2013 Instrumental Version \u2013 Eldar Kedem<\/a> <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

The collections feature knick-knacks including soft furnishings and glassware. It was cool, but nothing groundbreaking, and it didn\u2019t feel like the IKEA I know and love.<\/p>\n

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