Ikea might open Oxford Street store

The store would be used as an “order-and-collection”

IKEA shopping carts are seen at the newly opened IKEA store near Zagreb on August 21, 2014 (Getty)

Ikea is considering opening one of its flat-pack furniture shops on one of the UK’s busiest shopping street to be closer to London shoppers.

The Swedish retailer is in talks about taking space in the BHS department store on London’s Oxford Street to open a smaller former outlet.

The store would be used as an “order-and-collection” point similar to the one that just opened in Norwich two weeks ago. A second one is scheduled to open in Aberdeen in the spring next year.

An Ikea spokesman said that the company is exploring a number of other potential locations across the UK, one of which is the current BHS building on Oxford Street. “While we are seriously considering this opportunity, we have nothing to confirm at this point in time while discussions are ongoing,” he said.

The idea behind the smaller outlet is to bring the retailer closer to customers who live a long way from a full size Ikea store.

Ikea has 18 stores in the UK with four full scale flagships outlets around Greater London - at Wembley, Edmonton, Croydon and Lakeside near Thurrock in Essex. But customers have been complaining that the superstores across the country are too remote.

Gillian Drakefor, UK country manager said Ikea has discovered that UK customers shop across many channels, using multiple devices.

“Our customers are also telling us that with 18 stores in the UK, we are often too far away. Order and Collection Points give us the opportunity to trial new ways of being more accessible,” Ms Drakefor said.