New Ikea store in Exeter 'will be next to Sandy Park'
Store giant Ikea has reportedly identified a site in Exeter where it hopes to create a new store.
As the Echo revealed last year, the Swedish business said it wanted to open a store in Exeter and had been trying to identify a site.
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As the Echo revealed last year, the Swedish business said it wanted to open a store in Exeter and had been trying to identify a site
It is now understood that land near Sandy Park and opposite Tesco is preferred following discussions with the city council.
The store could be open by 2015.
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Derek Phillips, of Exeter Chamber of Commerce, said: "This is very good news for Exeter and demonstrates its pre-eminence as a retail destination of the South West."
A formal planning application is expected within the next few weeks.
Councillor Pete Edwards, leader of Exeter City Council, spoke to the Echo when Ikea confirmed its interest and said: “I know there are many people who would love to see an Ikea store here, and the arrival of such a popular retailer would be yet further evidence that Exeter is bucking the trend in this recession.
Ikea was locked in discussions with the city council in the summer of 2001, but the plans failed to progress because the retailer was looking for a site of between 10 and 20 acres which, at that time, the city council was unable to identify.
A spokeswoman for Ikea said another large space would be required for a move to the city.
She said: “On average, Ikea stores are approximately 20,000 to 40,000 square metres. This means most sites capable of accommodating an Ikea store are naturally based out of city centres.
“Decades of retailing experience, worldwide, have proven that Ikea stores need to be given ample space to present the 9,500 home furnishing products across the various areas of the home to meet the needs of Ikea visitors.”
Ikea was launched 70 years ago in a small farming village in Sweden. It has grown to become one of the biggest home furnishing retailers in the world with more than 150 stores in 29 countries. The company opened its first UK store in 1987.
It is understood the move to Exeter could lead to the creation of 300 jobs.
33 Comments
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by OutsideView
Friday, March 15 2013, 5:04PM
“by Waltersmith
Tuesday, March 12 2013, 11:21PM
.
"@charliedodd
Vote UKIP all you like my dear friend. They couldn't organise a p**s up in a brewery"
From PM question time, neither can Mr Cameron!”
by OutsideView
Thursday, March 14 2013, 9:21PM
“I cant wait for IKEA to come to Exeter so that I can have the Swedish meatballs (even if they contain horsemeat) and berries in their restaurant, which I'm sure they will have.”
by tim_bucktoo
Thursday, March 14 2013, 7:06PM
“Ikea furniture is pretty good quality! The key is to put it together correctly! As for the comment about Trago and Fairway… good lord! Fairway haven't updated their range since 1987. I sure they still sell imitation teak sideboards! Trago just needs to close, quickly!”
by hstmtu4000
Thursday, March 14 2013, 12:53PM
“You can argue all day whether the quality of ikeas merchandise is good,bad or indifferent but that would be missing the key point here and that is that whatever you think of their product quality companies like ikea and John Lewis only set up in the most favourable locations like Exeter and Bristol etc which have the right demographics and most importantly the necessary transport infrastructure to enable their customers to easily access their sites from a wide area.Most importantly they are a barometer of how the outside world really views a city and right now the message coming out of all the recent relocations to Exeter is that Plymouth as a sub regional centre is now viewed as secondary to Exeter by much of the outside world.To change that the M5 would have to be extended to Plymouth and a completely new fast and direct railway line built between the two cities and that would cost £billions that simply cant be justified on economic grounds just to link up a city of 257k.We are not a huge conurbation like Birmingham or Manchester or Leeds.You would of thought that in these circumstances PCC would have fought tooth and nail to make sure our airport stayed open under the PCCs control for the good of the local economy but they did not and so here we are now in Plymouth stuck between a rock and a hard place economically with our only resource being the sea which like fishing is getting harder and harder to make a living”
by Waltersmith
Thursday, March 14 2013, 8:10AM
“@tony1976
At least TM is honest in what it sells. IKEA sells c**p in nice stores. I used the Croydon branch for many a year and the only decent stuff was the shelving”
by tony1976
Thursday, March 14 2013, 12:15AM
“Come on Waltersmith, You cannot compare Trago Mills to Ikea. Ikea is in a different league and is in a different time dimension (1970-80s). Tragos is shabby, unwellcoming, oldfashioned, depressing and full of 'job lot' deals, which are rejects from suppliers. Ikea is modern, clean and reliable. Tragos is out of date and has even gone in reverse over recent years.”
by Waltersmith
Wednesday, March 13 2013, 9:50AM
“I bought some shelving called Ivor many years ago”
by paperlantern
Wednesday, March 13 2013, 9:49AM
“Waltersmith 9.24 - you are right about the quality but it is better laid out. Trago in Cornwall is a tip, the Newton Abbot one a bit better now. I know people who live near big IKEA stores and they treat them as a free day out for the kids as toys are provided for them to try. Maybe a drink in the cafe/restaurant and that is it.
We are a very ''hilly' city, a lot of Exeter is quite flat. It would have been nice to have something interesting at Marsh Mills but traffic wise it is hideous, same applies to Tavistock Road. We will have to get Sutton Harbour Holdings to build out over the 'Ocean' to give us some flat land! (not).”
by Herbert69
Wednesday, March 13 2013, 9:39AM
“Why is it everything you buy from Ikea requires assembly?
I bought a pillow in there the other day and they gave me a duck.”
by Waltersmith
Wednesday, March 13 2013, 9:24AM
“@tony1976
..and Cornwall has Trago Mills and I'd be hard pushed to say that the quality of products in IKEA is any better. Personally - if I want furniture I go to Fairway which does have great quality stuff”