IKEA announces opening date for new Exeter store

• IKEA Exeter will open its doors to the public on Tuesday 1st May, 2018.
• The new store will be the 21st IKEA store to open in the UK.
• IKEA Exeter will be the retailer’s most sustainable store to date.
• Over 85% of co-workers appointed so far have been recruited from the local area.

Home furnishings retailer, IKEA, today announces that the doors of its new Exeter store will officially open for business on Tuesday 1st May. 

IKEA has invested £80 million in the 29,000 square metre store on Newcourt Way, and will bring its extensive range of high-quality, affordable products to the south-west of England. The store will feature inspirational room sets, a crèche, restaurant, bistro, a Changing Places toilet facility* and car park with over 1,000 spaces. 

The store is now going through the final stages of its recruitment process, with almost all of the 350 jobs created for the store opening filled. IKEA is committed to being a good neighbour and has worked closely with local employment agencies to ensure that job vacancies have been made available to members of the local community. Over 85 percent of co-workers appointed so far have been recruited from the Exeter and Devon area.

Nick Earle, IKEA Exeter Store Manager, said: “We know that there has been much anticipation for IKEA in Exeter and we are incredibly excited that we will open our doors to the city at the beginning of May. Along with my team, I am looking forward to celebrating with the people of Exeter in the run-up to the store’s opening, and to welcoming them into store on 1st May.    

"We look forward to continue working closely with the local community to create a better everyday life for the people of Devon and wish to contribute by being a good neighbour as well as providing a great shopping experience”  

The store team has already started playing an active role in the local Exeter community through its partnerships with local charities, including the Exeter Community Initiatives (ECI) Children’s Centres. Forty co-workers from the store recently came together to help transform the ECI’s Flying Start Children’s Centre with a range of new IKEA products. IKEA Exeter will be the retailer’s most sustainable store to date in the UK and will aim to achieve 100% renewable energy. The store will have a BREEAM ‘excellent’ accreditation and incorporate a number of green technologies such as Solar PV panels on the roof, rainwater harvesting and ground source heating. IKEA Exeter will also provide six electric vehicle charging points and have electric vans available as part of its home delivery service.  

IKEA Exeter will be the retailer’s 21st full sized store in the UK and 22nd in the UK and Ireland when it opens its doors at the beginning of May. 

Source: Insight DIY Team & IKEA Press Release

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