NAU MAI, IKEA! Kiwis Celebrate as IKEA Opens Its Doors In-Store and Online Across New Zealand

In addition to more than 7,500 sustainable, high-quality home furnishing products housed in the 34,000 m² store, shoppers now also have access to a full suite of services including online and phone ordering, home delivery, Click & Collect, and a network of 29 Pick Up Points available across the country.

The long-anticipated big blue box and its 500 co-workers welcomed crowds of excited Kiwis this morning. Once through the doors, customers experienced the expansive Showroom with styled room sets from bedrooms and kitchens to outdoor living, a bustling Market Hall filled with curated home accessories, as well as a Self-serve Warehouse stocked with IKEA’s iconic flatpack furniture.

Food lovers were in for a treat too as they came across the 426-seat Swedish Restaurant, serving its famous meatballs, salmon dishes, and plant-based favourites in addition to New Zealand exclusives such as fish and chips, and lingonberry pavlova. The Bistro added even more flavour with customers tasting the IKEA hot dogs and cinnamon scrolls for the very first time, while grabbing a bag of frozen meatballs to take home from the Swedish Food Market.

IKEA New Zealand Market Manager, Johanna Cederlöf, said: “Ever since I first started at IKEA I have dreamt of opening a store in New Zealand. To finally unlock the doors and welcome thousands of people into the store today, that dream has come true. We have been blown away by the excitement and passion of Kiwis who queued up for a chance to shop with us.

“All over the world, there is something magical about the IKEA shopping experience that brings people into our big blue boxes. From the start, we have had the ambition for our Sylvia Park store to become a ‘second home’ for Aucklanders: a place for children to play, families and friends to enjoy a meal together and for the community to gather.”

Tolga Öncü, Ingka Retail Manager (COO), Ingka Group | IKEA, said: “We’re thrilled to bring IKEA all the way to New Zealand, the country that’s geographically the furthest from our Swedish beginnings. That distance makes this opening special. It’s a real leap of faith, investment and friendship, showing we’re not just exporting a store, we’re planting roots for the long term, creating jobs, learning from local communities and tailoring our offer for Kiwi homes. With the Auckland store becoming store number 505 worldwide and New Zealand the 64th IKEA market, this is a milestone for both IKEA and Aotearoa, and we cannot wait to begin this new chapter.”

Mirja Viinanen, CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer, IKEA Australia and New Zealand, said: “I’m proud we are now open both in-store and online. We appreciate the excitement shown by the people who showed up and queued to visit our store for the first time.

“It’s been some time since we first announced our intentions to enter New Zealand in 2019. Right from the start, we wanted to enter in the best way possible and be a good neighbour. We wouldn’t be where we are today without the support and collaboration from our neighbours and wider ‘IKEA Family’ community.”

For those Kiwis who haven’t yet bought their BILLY Bookcase or POANG chair, IKEA is inviting everyone to join its free loyalty program, IKEA Family. With more than 213 million members worldwide, members receive exclusive benefits, early access to news, inspiring content, and personalised experiences. What’s more, savvy shoppers can now download the IKEA App – the perfect shopping tool to help navigate the crowds with the ability to create shopping lists in advance, see IKEA Family deals in one place, and skip the queues at check-out with its shop and go feature.  

From opening day, customers can also help more whānau (families) have a safe place to call home and a brighter future, through IKEA New Zealand’s partnership with Barnardos Aotearoa. With every purchase, customers will be prompted to add a donation at the checkout.

All customers can choose to take products home immediately, schedule delivery for a later date, or use Click & Collect from the Sylvia Park car park. For added convenience, 24/7 lockers are available onsite.