IKEA has yet to reach visitor ambitions for its Copenhagen city-centre store, highlighting the challenges of translating its big-box model into dense urban retail environments.
The metropolitan-format store in Copenhagen, opened in 2023, welcomed around two million visitors in the latest financial year, below an internal target of three million, according to Danish trade reporting.
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Despite the shortfall, Doris Lan said the company remains satisfied with progress and confident that ongoing adjustments will drive more repeat visits.
IKEA is refining the concept by broadening the assortment, increasing the share of products customers can take home immediately, and adding more seasonal merchandise. The strategy aims to shift the store from a destination showroom into a more frequent-use retail stop.
Meanwhile, the retailer reported growth across its wider Danish estate, with overall visitor numbers rising about 10%, while Copenhagen traffic increased 15%.
The performance underlines a broader retail challenge: city-centre formats can improve accessibility and brand presence, but often need different merchandising, convenience-led ranges and faster purchase journeys than traditional suburban warehouses.
IKEA is also continuing to test smaller concepts such as planning and order points, seeking ways to preserve the classic IKEA experience in compact spaces without materially increasing costs.
For the wider furniture sector, the Copenhagen case suggests urban expansion remains promising, but success depends less on store size alone and more on how effectively retailers adapt product mix, immediacy and shopper habits to metropolitan lifestyles.
Source: www.wood-supply.dk
