Ingka Centres, a part of the Ingka Group that includes IKEA Retail, has announced the acquisition of Brighton’s flagship shopping center, Churchill Square. IKEA UK and Ireland is excited to confirm plans for a new IKEA City store in this prominent location.
Churchill Square offers a diverse range of flagship stores and restaurants, attracting over 11 million visitors annually. Among its tenants are prominent brands such as Inditex, Apple, Next, H&M, Urban Outfitters, Levi’s, and a food court featuring McDonald’s, Krispy Kreme, and Ed’s Easy Diner. Ingka Centres has also acquired the residential complex Chartwell Court within the premises, two attached parking facilities and the leasing rights to a third parking space.
The upcoming IKEA City Store in the former Debenhams location represents the final stage of IKEA’s strategy to enhance customer accessibility. The store will offer various popular products for immediate purchase or eco-friendly delivery.
Cindy Andersen, Ingka Centres’ Managing Director, said: “Brighton is known as a welcoming and progressive city, so it is a real privilege to take up responsibility for delivering a revitalised meeting place of which the many people can be truly proud. We are excited to strengthen our portfolio with a well-established shopping destination in the heart of the vibrant and growing city of Brighton and Hove. It fits perfectly into our global expansion strategy, allowing us to transform a traditional retail space to a meeting place that is much more than just a place to shop.”
Peter Jelkeby, Country Retail Manager and Chief Sustainability Officer at IKEA UK & Ireland said: “We continue to transform as we respond to our customers’ needs and dreams, today and tomorrow. As one of the most innovative and exciting markets in the world for retail and e-commerce, we will step up our omnichannel investments, both in Brighton and the rest of the country, with a simple goal: to become more customer centric, so that people can shop with us for a better, more sustainable life at home, whenever, wherever and however they choose.”
Ingka Centres aims to adapt the retail offering at Churchill Square to the local community’s needs, investing in infrastructure and supporting sustainable development. Future investments include enhancing energy efficiency and initiatives aligning with Ingka Centres’ global commitments to sustainability.
Churchill Square provides convenient access via buses and bike lanes, located on Brighton’s main shopping street, within walking distance of the seafront and the main railway station. Ingka Centres plans to expand electric vehicle charging points in the parking lots and promote public transportation, aligning with IKEA’s new city-center delivery service.
Cindy Andersen continued: “We’ve proven in Hammersmith that traditional shopping centres have a strong future when they are adapted and constantly evolving to match the real needs of local communities. We’ll be working alongside our partners such as IKEA and the wider community to make everyday life better for the many people of Brighton, shaping and delivering an affordable, sustainable range of destination retail, restaurants, services and amenities.”
