IKEA to shutter Coventry store

IKEA is set to close its Coventry store with an expected 300+ redundancies.  A consultation has begun with affected employees, some of whom may be redeployed to other stores in the chain where feasible. The large-scale Coventry store, set over seven floors, opened in 2007 and has made consistent losses.  It is now IKEA’s strategy to open smaller showrooms in city centre locations, as well as ramp up its online business.

Peter Jekyll, IKEA country manager for the UK & Ireland said: “Although this isn’t an easy decision, this is the right decision for the long-term success of IKEA in the UK.”