Ikea to open new ‘plan and order’ point in Carlow and eyes more outlets

And as Ikea global chief executive Jesper Brodin visits the chain’s Ballymun store in Dublin today, the retailer has also confirmed that its huge new 42,500 sq m distribution centre in the capital will open later this spring and employ about 120 people. The hub will reduce delivery times for Ikea customers from about seven to 10 days at the moment, to two to three days once up and running.

Ikea’s plan and order points allow customers to design and buy their kitchens and bedroom wardrobes and have helped the retailer expand its customer base.

The new outlet in Carlow will open at the Fairgreen Shopping Centre.

Mr Brodin said “it’s exciting” to be in Dublin and see the group’s operations here first-hand. He said Ireland is a “special market” for the chain. Mr Brodin is the CEO of Ingka Group, which controls most of the Ikea stores around the world.

“We’re excited and optimistic about the future,” he said. “Our main focus right now is to continue to lower our prices as well as expanding to more places, to make it even easier to shop with us.”

Ikea opened its first plan and order point in Ireland in Naas, Co Kildare, in 2021. It now has outlets in Dublin city centre, Cork and Drogheda. On top of the latest additions in Carlow,, Ikea intends to open at least three additional plan and order points around the country later this year.

Ikea’s Dublin store in Ballymun is currently its only major outlet in the Republic of Ireland. It’s also the world’s busiest Ikea.

This month, the retailer is beginning a €4.5m revamp of the Ballymun store, which opened its doors in 2009. It will include upgrading its façade and carpark. Ikea has also just opened a new children’s department.

Ikea Ireland, which employs about 730 people here, generated sales of €252m in year to the end of August 2023, which was a 16.5pc increase on 2022.

The latest set of publicly available accounts show that Ikea Ireland tripled its profits to €12.9m in the 12 months to the end of August 2022. That period saw more than three million visits made to its Ballymun store.

Ikea Ireland market manager Martyn Allan said the retailer’s new plan and order points are a “fantastic place” for the company to reach customers living far from its Ballymun outlet.

Ikea has previously said that it was considering opening a second major outlet in the Republic of Ireland in coming years.

Ikea’s Ireland store number one in the world as sales hit €250m