IKEA’s largest retail operator Ingka Group is set to test a new store-within-a-store format in the UK by introducing a Decathlon outlet inside its Croydon location this spring.
The move will be the first time another global brand has traded from within one of IKEA’s UK “blue box” sites.
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The Decathlon space will function independently with its own entrance, occupying 1,188m² within the 25,000m² Croydon store.
The UK pilot follows similar trials in other countries and is part of Ingka Group’s broader effort to incorporate complementary retail partners into its physical estate.
Ingka Group IKEA commercial manager Javier Quiñones said: “Our ambition is to become as accessible as ever and give customers more reasons to visit us wherever they are on their home journey.
“By testing new ways of using our retail space together with other retailers, we want to further evolve our stores into inviting destinations that reflect what customers want today – convenience, inspiration and an expanded offer.”
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By GlobalDataCroydon will mark the first UK deployment of the concept.
Elsewhere in Europe, Ingka Group is investing €11m ($12.97m) to refurbish its Klagenfurt store in Austria, with around 2,600m² earmarked for third-party retailers.
The space will include discount home and garden chain Thomas Philipps when the site reopens in late 2026.
In Sweden, IKEA began piloting the model last year with consumer electronics retailer Kjell & Company at its Stockholm and Kalmar stores.
Centred on smart-home and technology products, the trial is set to run for 18 months before evaluation.
Ingka Group said it plans to continue adjusting store space in additional markets to improve convenience and attract footfall.
Between FY24 and FY26, the company intends to invest more than €5bn in new outlets and refurbishments across most of the 32 markets in which it operates.
IKEA has also outlined plans to expand its international presence.
In the US, the retailer has increased the number of stores it aims to open this year to ten, adding sites in Chicago, Tulsa, Fort Collins and Los Angeles to six previously announced locations.
The expansion contrasts with recent rationalisation in China, where seven IKEA stores closed from 2 February 2026.
