IKEA Canada has announced the opening date of its first compact store format in the country at White Oaks Mall in London. Opening Sept. 29, the new location is designed to offer customers a smaller-format shopping experience focused on everyday home furnishings and seasonal products while maintaining access to IKEA’s full product assortment through delivery and pickup options. The store, located at 1105 Wellington Rd., will span approximately 43,000 square feet, making it about one-fifth the size of the company’s Burlington, Ont., store. IKEA Canada CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer Selwyn Crittendon, said the new concept is intended to make the retailer’s products more accessible to customers in London and surrounding communities. “We are excited to launch this new concept store as the first of its kind in Canada, making our affordable, functional and inspiring home furnishing solutions more accessible to those in London, Ontario and surrounding areas,” Crittendon said in a statement. The store will carry more than 2,500 products, including everyday essentials and seasonal items. About 400 furniture products will be available for immediate purchase and pickup from a self-serve warehouse area. Customers will also be able to order from IKEA’s full product lineup and choose from a range of delivery and collection options. The company said its existing London-area locations will continue to operate. That includes the IKEA Plan and Order Point on Wonderland Road South, which offers consultations for projects such as kitchens and other complex home furnishing purchases, and the company’s pickup location on Wilton Grove Road.
