Ikea delays opening Oxford Street store to fix leaks

Ikea has pushed back the opening of its new central London store in order to fix leaks in the building's basement.

It is the second time the Oxford Street store has seen its opening delayed.

Work started on the site in 2022, with original plans to open the location by autumn 2023. Last year this was pushed back to autumn 2024.

The Swedish furniture and homeware giant said the shop would not be open until spring 2025 due to the "hugely complex" renovation.

The Grade II listed building was previously home to Topshop's flagship London store.

Ingka Investment, the investment arm of Ikea, bought the Grade II listed building at 214 Oxford Street when Topshop owner Arcadia fell into administration.

Ikea said work across all seven floors of the building - which also includes four floors of office space - had seen "significant progress" but faced "unexpected conditions" during the process.

It said work was under way to control a recently discovered water leak in the lower of two basement levels.

Peter van der Poel, managing director of Ingka Investments, said: "Ikea Oxford Street is a one-of-a-kind project, involving the sensitive and sustainable upgrade of a building that is over 100 years old.

"Following the discovery of an unforeseen water ingress issue, we're now taking vital steps to mitigate long-term flood risk, and to protect and future-proof this historic building for many years to come."

Peter Jelkeby, chief executive and chief sustainability officer of Ikea UK, said: "The historic nature of the building makes its careful renovation more complex, but we want to ensure Londoners that we're just as excited to open the store as they are to visit it.

"We look forward to doing so in spring 2025 and contributing to a positive future for London's most renowned shopping district."