Published 4 December 2025 • Inter IKEA newsroom
Hej New Zealand! Welcome to the IKEA family!
On December 4th, IKEA will bring its concept to a new market with the opening of the first IKEA store in New Zealand, along with online shopping and 29 pick-up points nationwide. Ingka Group, the franchisor of IKEA in New Zealand, will employ over 500 co-workers to support its omnichannel expansion in the country.
“This is a very special day for us, as we open the very first IKEA store in New Zealand. I’m grateful to all the people involved for their hard work and efforts in making this happen. Ingka Group, as the IKEA retailer of the market, will bring a lot of experience in developing and successfully operating the business, and together we are determined to make IKEA a beloved and meaningful brand and business among the New Zealand customers and its society,” says Dennis Balslev, Retail Concept Manager, Inter IKEA Systems B.V.
When IKEA enters a new country, it brings thousands of home furnishing solutions and over 80 years of experience in design and life at home. However, each new market entry is unique. Expanding into New Zealand, a market with great potential, it is obvious that IKEA has long been awaited by Kiwis. With an IKEA fan page on Facebook with over 32,000 members, the IKEA Family customer loyalty programme had over 40,000 sign-ups ahead of the official opening. Furthermore, the store received 25,000 applications to fill the 500 vacancies.
“For decades, IKEA has been gathering knowledge about life at home in different parts of the world. We come to New Zealand to humbly offer our knowledge through affordable home furnishing products and solutions, helping to create a better everyday life for the many people in the country. However, we also come with an open mind to learn from New Zealanders about life at home. About their needs, dreams, frustrations, and expectations from living spaces," says Tolga Öncü, Ingka Retail Manager (COO), Ingka Group.
During the last financial year, 66 new IKEA sales locations opened worldwide. These ranged from smaller formats to full-size stores and plan-and-order points. During the year, IKEA had 915 million visitors globally, the fifth consecutive year of growth. Furthermore, following the New Zealand opening, the next new market entries will be Panama and Costa Rica.
Facts & Figures
- IKEA is entering New Zealand/Aotearoa with a full omnichannel approach, at the heart of which is the new 34,000m² store in Sylvia Park, Auckland.
- IKEA has conducted over 500 home visits across New Zealand to fully understand the life at home requirements of the many Kiwis.
- Over 7,500 IKEA products will be available to New Zealand consumers, with a selection of products specifically tailored to the tastes and needs of people in the region.
- The store will run fully on renewable energy, contributing to the ambitions of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across the IKEA value chain by 2050, with a major milestone of cutting emissions by 50% by 2030.
- The last time IKEA entered a new country was in Colombia in 2023.