The first Parisian point of sale of the Swedish furniture brand, opened in 2019, will be set up from Thursday in the shopping center bought by the property company of its parent company.
This time, it’s Ikea that’s moving. The Swedish furniture brand is permanently closing its largest Parisian store this Sunday, September 8 at 8 p.m., the Ikea City La Madeleine. Opened in 2019, it was the first of a new concept condensed in the city, the brand being rather established in large stores on the outskirts. It has been redesigned several times to find its model.
The brand’s products will find a new home starting this Thursday, September 12, in a brand new store at Italie 2, on the other side of the Seine, on Place d’Italie. Ikea is moving to have more space: the surface area of the new point of sale, 5,800 m², will be slightly larger than that of the La Madeleine store. But above all, it will be accompanied by 2,600 m2 “warehouses dedicated to the storage of products”greatly facilitating logistics, the brand explained in January. The restaurant will offer 100 seats.
Exhibition furniture on sale
The La Madeleine store was restocked until the last day to operate as if nothing had happened. The display furniture, which will not be transferred to the new store, was sold at a reduced price in a “second life” space, or sold directly to the brand’s employees. “Everything that was not sold was donated” to associations, Ikea also assures in a video presenting its move.
This move is also – and above all – motivated by the recent acquisition, in April 2023, of the Italie 2 shopping center by the property company of Ikea’s parent company, Ingka Centres. It is betting that transferring its very popular store there will attract customers and revitalize the shopping center. The other Parisian Ikea store, located on rue de Rivoli, remains open. It was even redeveloped at the beginning of the year to “facilitate the customer journey”.
