Ikea has announced a big economic investment in London, with the city set to become home to the first 'Pick-Up-Point' Ikea store in all of North America.
Officials say about 60 million people shop online at Ikea. Now customers can order and then pick up their items at the London location, for a $20 fee.
In addition to being a pickup location, there will be a home furnishing showroom and some of the brand's most popular products will be available for immediate purchase with no fee.
The new location also means the cost of home delivery for those in London will drop to $80.
Stefan Sjöstrand, president of IKEA Canada, along with London Mayor Matt Brown made the announcement Wednesday morning.
“The ambition is to make Ikea more accessible to the many Canadians,” Sjöstrand said in a statement. “The Pick-Up-Points allow Ikea to expand quickly into markets that have been identified as having potential, resulting in consumers having easier access to our products.”
He adds that a full store can take three years to build, so this allows them to get into the market much faster.
The store will mean hiring about 20 people and be located at Wonderland and Southdale Roads. It is slated to open in late 2015.
As for whether it will ever expand to a full retail store, Sjöstrand says this is a good test and then, "We will see and evaluate how that test goes."
