Ikea will open its first Sussex store this Thursday in Brighton, bringing more than 150 jobs and a major new retail anchor to the city centre. The Swedish homeware giant is taking over the former Debenhams unit in Churchill Square shopping centre, transforming 6,700 square metres across two floors into a new-format Ikea store.
While smaller than the brand’s sprawling out-of-town locations, the branch will offer a wide range of home products, with larger furniture items available for delivery or click-and-collect. Churchill Square manager Mark Buchanan-Smith said he was “super excited” about the launch, describing it as “brilliant” to have Ikea as the centre’s “main anchor.”
The opening follows Ikea’s £145 million purchase of the shopping centre in November 2023 and replaces a previously scrapped plan for a full-size store in Lancing.
For Brighton residents, the new store will cut travel times for Ikea shopping, previously only accessible via trips to Southampton or East Croydon.
Brighton and Hove City Council leader Bella Sankey has hailed the opening as a “real vote of confidence” in the city, citing the boost to jobs and investment.
But the arrival of the retail giant has stirred mixed feelings among some local traders.
Martha Tiffin, who runs the independent houseware store Utility nearby, told the Mirror: “Obviously, we cannot compete on price – if we can survive this, we can survive anything.”
She added that high street shops already face steep rent, wage, and energy costs, while battling the shift toward online shopping.
Others are less concerned. George Diplocks, owner of the consignment shop Diplock’s Yard in the North Laines, said the Ikea opening “won’t make a difference” to his business, noting that many small shops are struggling regardless.
Store manager Karina Gilpin promised Brighton shoppers “everything you need for the home under one roof,” along with Ikea’s signature food options.
“We’re a Swedish company so to be able to share with Brightonians Swedish meatballs and the dime cake, it’s very important for us,” she said.
The new store opens to the public on Thursday, August 14.
