IKEA to close seven China stores from February 2026

Group 1 - IKEA plans to close seven stores in China starting from February 2, 2026, including locations in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Nantong, Xuzhou, Ningbo, and Harbin as part of an optimization exercise to improve efficiency across physical and digital channels [1] - Customers affected by the closures will still have access to other IKEA stores in the same cities and through online operations, including the website, mobile apps, WeChat mini-program, and flagship stores on platforms like Tmall and JD.com [2] - China remains a strategic market for IKEA, which has been sourcing from the country since the 1960s and opened its first store in 1998, now operating 41 offline customer meeting points and multiple digital channels [2][3] Group 2 - Recent developments include the redesign of the Xuhui store, the opening of five new stores of varying sizes, and the launch of its presence on JD.com, with support for employees affected by the closures through a transparent process [4] - The company plans to focus growth in Beijing and Shenzhen, with over ten small-format stores expected to open in these cities over the next two years, including IKEA Dongguan in February 2026 and IKEA Tongzhou in April [5] - IKEA is increasing the volume of products sourced from US manufacturing facilities in response to rising import costs due to tariffs, marking a reversal of the long-term decline in domestic production for the US market [5][6]