Australia is getting mini IKEA stores and the first one opens today

Hej.

When we think about IKEA, we think a maze of endless boxes, display rooms and of course, FRATKA shopping bags.

But the Scandinavian retail giant’s first Australian home-planning studio opens in Westfield’s Warringah Mall today and it’s a little different to what we’ve come to expect.

The new small-format store is less than 100 square meters, so it lacks the grandeur (and sadly, the meatballs) of the regular warehouses.

Inside, customers can book one-on-one planning consultations with IKEA staff to design and plan a kitchen or get advice on bedroom storage.

While there’s an exclusive focus on the bedroom and bathroom alone, shoppers can still access the rest of IKEA’s furniture range via a ‘digital shopping wall’ in-store. It shows product images that can be added to a digital shopping bag. Once done, the list can be transferred to a person’s phone to complete the transaction online.

Soon we might all be privy to the personalised experience too, with reports studios in Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth are on the way.

IKEA Warringah Mall opens today at Shop 2193, Warringah Westfield, Old Pittwater Road, Brookvale.

You can book a one-on-one consultation here.