IKEA opens first store in New Zealand, brings home furnishings virtually across country

The long-anticipated store and its 500 co-workers welcomed crowds of excited Kiwis. Once through the doors, customers experienced styled room-sets and more than 7,500 products, convenient services, and plenty of inspiration.

For the first time when opening a new market, IKEA has set up 29 pick-up points across the country, where customers can collect their purchases even more affordably. The new IKEA store in Auckland, pick-up points, online and remote sales complement each other in an omnichannel way, allowing the Swedish retailer to get closer to the shopping preferences of New Zealanders. In addition, a Buy Back service is available at the store from day one – even for non-IKEA products – supporting circular living and reducing waste.

“I’m proud we are now open both in-store and online. We appreciate the excitement shown by the people who showed up and queued to visit our store for the first time,” said Mirja Viinanen, CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer, IKEA Australia and New Zealand. “It’s been some time since we first announced our intentions to enter New Zealand in 2019. Right from the start, we wanted to enter in the best way possible and be a good neighbour. We wouldn’t be where we are today without the support and collaboration from our neighbours and wider ‘IKEA Family’ community.”

Ahead of the store opening, IKEA has visited more than 500 homes in New Zealand to understand the life at home expectations of the many Kiwis and translate those learnings into its store and online presentation. It also collected those insights into its first Life at Home Report about New Zealand, and organized housewarming celebrations in secret locations across Auckland, reflecting the Kiwi lifestyle – from backyard gatherings to late-night garage jams and sunny mornings by the sea.

New Zealand is the first new market for the largest IKEA retailer since 2021, when a store was opened in Ljubljana, capital of Slovenia.

The expansion into New Zealand is part of a broader investment strategy aimed at making IKEA even more accessible worldwide. In total, more than EUR 5 billion will be invested by FY27 in opening new locations and optimizing the existing ones across many markets.

Facts about the first IKEA store in New Zealand:

• The store is a large-format, approximately 34,000 m² in size, making it larger than the average IKEA store globally.
• IKEA Sylvia Park in Auckland is bigger than 8 of the 10 Australian IKEA “big blue box” stores, which range from 23,000 m² to 39,000 m².
• IKEA New Zealand is a three-floor building, with a ground-level car park and the store spread across two upper levels.
• The new IKEA store features a Swedish Restaurant and Bistro serving iconic meatballs and hot dogs, also available in plant-based versions, along with exclusive New Zealand-only dishes.
• The store runs fully on renewable energy. A rooftop solar PV system supplies approximately 50% of the building’s energy needs, with the remainder purchased from New Zealand’s renewable energy sources.
• The store’s 100% LED lighting system is re-programmable, allowing each of the 3,000+ lights to be individually controlled and scheduled on timers to reduce energy usage.
• Twenty-five electric vehicle charging stations are available for customers in the car park, plus “last mile” EV chargers on-site for delivery trucks and vans.

About Ingka Group 

With IKEA retail operations in 31 markets, Ingka Group is the largest IKEA retailer and represents 87% of IKEA retail sales. It is a strategic partner to develop and innovate the IKEA business and help define common IKEA strategies. Ingka Group owns and operates IKEA sales channels under franchise agreements with Inter IKEA Systems B.V. It has three business areas: IKEA Retail, Ingka Investments and Ingka Centres. Read more on Ingka.com.