Ikea has announced that its Uppsala store will remain closed for between nine and twelve months following the discovery of serious structural issues. The closure, which began abruptly in mid-April, was initially expected to last a few weeks but has now been extended due to the complexity of the repairs required.
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The issue involves insufficient reinforcement in parts of the building, as well as deficiencies in the existing structural support. According to Ikea, these technical challenges are particularly difficult to address in an existing, fully constructed property.
'For us at Ikea, the safety of our employees and customers is the highest priority,' said Jessica Öhlund, store manager at Ikea Uppsala, in a press release. Louise Lundquist, project delivery manager at Ikea, added that the repair process is "complex" and requires careful planning due to existing installations, walls and structural limitations.
In the interim, Ikea is offering free click & collect services and has set up a dedicated service point near the closed store for customers to retrieve orders.
'We are doing our utmost to ensure that Ikea is available to customers in Uppsala during the time the department store is closed,' Öhlund stated.
Employee job security is also under review, with Ikea pledging to maintain open communication with staff and union representatives as they seek mutually agreeable solutions.
The closure represents a significant operational challenge for the Swedish furniture giant, particularly in maintaining customer service and protecting employee welfare during the extended downtime.
Source: www.dagenshandel.se