Swedish furniture retailer IKEA and supermarket giant Tesco are expanding their partnership by adding next generation self-serve IKEA lockers at Tesco’s Dereham Extra and Cambridge Newmarket Road Superstore.

This forms part of a new trial between the two retailers to make collecting IKEA online orders easier than ever. The new automated pick-up lockers in Dereham and Cambridge are among just three locations in the UK selected for the trial, making residents in the Norfolk and Cambridgeshire areas among the first to use these cutting-edge lockers in the UK.

Customers can easily order a wide range of IKEA products, from home accessories and homewares to furniture, for hassle-free collection at their nearest locker, which is available 24/7.

Customers within 100km of the lockers will be able to make use of the service. To select a locker collection, customers can choose the ‘Collect from an IKEA Store or Locker’ delivery option at checkout and select IKEA Lockers at either Tesco Dereham Extra or Cambridge Newmarket Road as the pick-up location. Once an order has been confirmed, customers will receive an email and text containing a 6-digit code to unlock the locker and collect their order.

Orders placed before 6:30am will be available from the same day, while orders placed after 6:30am will be eligible for collection from the following day. Collection slots can be booked up to five days in advance, subject to availability.

At each store customer orders will be available for collection from one of 35 differently sized lockers that can accommodate furniture of almost all sizes*. From smaller IKEA products such as KNOPPÄNG picture frame to larger items of flat pack favourites from a BILLY Bookcase to a BRIMNES Bed or even a PAX wardrobe. Larger orders may be split across multiple lockers.

These automated ‘pick-up lockers’ build on the existing partnership between IKEA and Tesco, which has seen over 100 mobile pick-up points launch at Tesco stores across the UK. A further 100 pick-up points are planned to launch, half of which are due to open this year. While the mobile pick-up points allow products to be collected during two daily time windows, with the new lockers, items can be picked up at any time, providing more flexibility and improved accessibility for customers.

Jakob Bertilsson, Country Customer Fulfilment Manager, IKEA UK, said: “We’re continuously exploring new ways to connect with our customers across the UK and this trial marks a significant milestone in our ambition to become even closer to our customers. We’re excited to extend our successful partnership with Tesco to bring these next-generation lockers to our customers in the Norfolk and Cambridgeshire areas and provide a range of services that are affordable, accessible and offer the best possible experience.”

Simon Williams, Tesco’s Assets and Estates Director, said: “We’re pleased to be building on our existing partnership with IKEA to trial innovative ways of improving the shopping experience for Tesco and IKEA customers. Our IKEA manned Click & Collect points are already widely used with almost 100 in operation right across the UK, and we hope that these convenient and forward-thinking new automated lockers are just as well received.”

In other news, Ingka Group, the largest IKEA retailer, is strengthening its offer in the 13th district of Paris, France. With the opening of a new IKEA store in the Italie Deux shopping centre, Ingka Group aims to offer greater convenience and accessibility to its Parisian customers.

“France is one of our key markets and we are excited to open the doors to a unique IKEA experience in the centre of Paris. With the store, we want to offer the many Parisians even greater inspiration, where the dreams and needs in life at home can be fulfilled with one stop. Having the store integrated in the vibrant meeting place of Italie Deux supports our vision about creating a better everyday life and I’m thrilled about the opportunities it brings to our future journey in France,” says Jesper Brodin, CEO of the Ingka Group.

The new IKEA city store in Italie Deux spans over 6,200 square meters of commercial space. It offers more than 3000 home furnishing products for same-day pickup with 7000 additional products on display, planning services, inspiring room sets and a Swedish bistro with 100 seats. Furthermore, it will be the first IKEA in Paris to offer the Buy Back & Resell service – through which customers can give their IKEA furniture a second life in a new home.

The opening of the new IKEA store in Italie Deux, one of the largest retail-led mixed-use destinations in Paris, is part of Ingka Group’s broader strategy to meet more people where they live, work and socialise. Together with Italie Deux, acquired in 2023 by Ingka Centres, one of Ingka Group’s core businesses, the new store will offer its customers an even more convenient and diverse shopping experience, easily accessible with several metro lines.

“Today is a special day for Italie Deux and the many people of 13me Arrondissement of Paris, as we open a brand new IKEA store, the first one on the left side of the river Seine! With over 9 million visitors each year, Italie Deux is not just a shopping destination, but a vibrant meeting place offering a variety of exciting experiences – from workspaces and diverse food to retail therapy, leisure and entertainment, including our full-scale theatre. The addition of the IKEA store will elevate the visitor experience, bringing a unique combination of creativity, playfulness, and inspiration for better living. But that’s just the beginning. Together with IKEA France, we’re committed to promoting healthy and sustainable choices, driving positive change for local communities,” shares Cindy Andersen, Managing Director at Ingka Centres.

To celebrate the opening, IKEA hosts a series of special events and in-store activities. Amongst other, as part of Paris Design Week, IKEA invites the design studio ZYVA to explore its vision of sleep with a unique room setup, where dreams and reality merge, composed by IKEA furniture and accessories but transformed by ZYVA’s vision.

IKEA is on an expansion journey and continues to grow its presence in existing and new markets. During the coming year we will open new IKEA stores not only in Paris, but amongst others, also in Shanghai in China, Seoul in South Korea, and on Oxford Street, London in the UK.

As the largest IKEA retailer, Ingka Group, operates 574 physical customer meeting points in 30 countries. About one third of these are smaller IKEA store formats such as city stores and plan and order points.