IKEA decided to return to Ukraine: what is known about the opening of stores

The Swedish furniture giant IKEA has decided to return to Ukraine. Preparations are underway at the company's only outlet in Kyiv. However, IKEA has not yet disclosed the date of the resumption of operations.

The decision to return to Ukraine was made by the company's central office in May, according to Forbes sources. OBOZ.UA has already asked IKEA to comment on the plans.

It is noted that the position of IKEA, which did not want to return to Ukraine until the end of hostilities, wasinfluenced by the opening of stores of the Inditex conglomerate, including Zara and Bershka, as well as the return of the H&M chain.

Technical work, according to media reports, has already begun. This includes preparations for the IKEA store in Kyiv to open - sources say that they are removing signs from the facade for repairs.

"Technical preparations are underway. The start date is not yet known," one of the sources said.

Earlier, the company's headquarters hinted at a return to Ukraine, but did not disclose details. "IKEA remains highly interested in the Ukrainian market. We are still doing our best to assess the impact of the current situation on our possible activities. As soon as all the necessary aspects are in place, IKEA will be able to offer its assortment to as many people in Ukraine as possible again," the statement said.

IKEA did not enter the Ukrainian market for a long time due to problems with land allocation, but on February 1, 2021, it opened its first store in Kyiv in a new format, inside a shopping mall. This only Ukrainian store of the company is located in the Blockbuster Mall in Kyiv.

The Swedish company's products were in demand, and IKEA planned to expand and open new stores, but in 2022, due to a full-scale invasion, it was forced to leave the Ukrainian market. In June 2022, the company also announced its complete withdrawal from Russia.

In 2023, it became known that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine was working on the return of well-known global brands to Ukraine, including IKEA. The Swedish company was even addressed with a separate appeal.

As OBOZ.UA previously reported, one of the world's largest distribution groups in the fashion industry, Spanish Inditex, has returned to Ukraine. On April 3, stores of a number of brands opened, including Zara, Bershka, Zara Home, Oysho, Stradivarius, Pull&Bear, Massimo Dutti.

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