Ingka Group Opens First Store in New Zealand in Auckland

September 4, 2025  by Karen Parrish in Bankruptcy, Industry   

In just three months, IKEA will officially say ‘Kia ora’ and open the doors to its home in New Zealand. From day one, more than 7,500 home furnishing items will be available to New Zealanders, online, by phone, and in-store. To mark the “save the date” announcement, the furniture retailer installed its iconic wordmark on the side of the Sylvia Park store in Auckland.

Tolga Öncu, Ingka retail manager (COO) at IKEA Retail (Ingka Group) says, “The interest and anticipation for IKEA in New Zealand can be felt all the way to Sweden, and we are very humbled by it. Welcoming a new country to the IKEA family always brings special emotions, and we could not be more excited to meet the Kiwis soon and support them in achieving their needs and dreams for life at home.”

Alongside the 34,000 m² store, IKEA will, for the first time when entering a new market, launch 29 convenient Pick-Up Points nationwide, together with home delivery services across the country. This approach is designed to bring the IKEA range of well-designed, functional, affordable, and good-quality home furnishings closer to people throughout New Zealand.

In addition, Buy Back service will be available at IKEA Sylvia Park from the start. Customers will be able to bring back pre-loved IKEA items, and even products from other furniture retailers, making rehoming furniture easier and more sustainable for everyone.

To make it convenient for New Zealanders to stay up to date ahead of the store opening, the retailer has launched its IKEA Family loyalty program. Members will enjoy exclusive benefits, early access, and personalized experiences. Joining is free, and registration is available now at www.IKEA.co.nz.

When it opens, New Zealand will become the first new market for the largest IKEA retailer since 2021, when a store was opened in Ljubljana, capital of Slovenia.

The expansion into New Zealand is part of a broader investment strategy aimed at making IKEA even more accessible worldwide. In total, more than EUR 5 billion will be invested by FY27 in opening new locations and optimizing the existing ones across many markets.

Facts about the first IKEA store in New Zealand:

— The store will be large-format, approximately 34,000 m² in size, making it larger than the average IKEA store globally.

— IKEA Sylvia Park in Auckland will be bigger than 8 of the 10 Australian IKEA “big blue box” stores, which range from 23,000 m² to 39,000 m².

— IKEA New Zealand will be a three-floor building, with a ground-level car park and the store spread across two upper levels.

— The new IKEA store will feature a Swedish Restaurant and Bistro serving iconic meatballs and hot dogs, also available in plant-based versions, along with exclusive New Zealand-only dishes to be revealed soon.

— The store will run fully on renewable energy. A rooftop solar PV system will supply approximately 50% of the building’s energy needs, with the remainder purchased from New Zealand’s renewable energy sources.

— The store’s 100% LED lighting system is re-programmable, allowing each of the 3,000+ lights to be individually controlled and scheduled on timers to reduce energy usage.

— Twenty-five electric vehicle charging stations will be available for customers in the car park, plus “last mile” EV chargers on-site for delivery trucks and vans.