Petition calling for Swedish retail giant IKEA to build a store in Newcastle
There’s been plenty of talk around the possibility of Swedish retail giant IKEA coming to Newcastle, but are we any closer to getting the big blue store? One resident thinks another push could do the trick.
Newcastle
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It’s been on the rumour mill for years – will Newcastle ever have an IKEA?
Hunter residents have been desperate to get the Swedish flatpack giant to the region with the nearest big blue stores more than a two-hour drive away in Sydney.
For a number of years there’s been talk the Scandinavian retailer might come to Boolaroo, at the old Pasminco smelter site, alongside American wholesale shopping juggernaut Costco.
In 2022 there was also a quiet announcement the IKEA executives were floating an idea of a ‘planning studio’ in Newcastle, a much smaller store where customers could plan and order complex products and services.
Nothing came of that either.
Now a local has taken it upon herself to ramp up the “we need an IKEA” campaign once again with a change.org petition calling for the retail giant to open up a store in Newcastle.
“Newcastle is the second largest city in NSW, and the store would service both Newcastle’s large population, as well as Lake Macquarie, Maitland, the Upper Hunter, and the Central Coast regions,” Jackie Carruthers said.
She has outlined a case for a local IKEA, citing expensive delivery costs and a lengthy drive down the M1 which is unfavourable for Hunter residents.
“As a resident of Newcastle, my nearest IKEA store is located more than a two-hour drive away in Sydney, making it more than a four hour round trip,” she said.
“Online orders attract a $199 delivery charge, which makes purchases financially unviable.
“Not only would residents in the Newcastle area benefit, I believe it would be extremely profitable for IKEA, as no-one else is offering quality, affordable, self-assembly furniture in this region, or anywhere nearby.”
The petition which started last week has slowly been gaining traction and, as of Wednesday afternoon, had close to 400 signatures.
Ms Carruthers urged people of the Hunter to show their support and sign the petition.
This publication reached out to IKEA with a spokesperson admitting there may be more news to come in the next couple of months on how the retailer was set to improve accessibility for Newcastle customers.
But in terms of future plans of an IKEA store locally, it looks like we’re out of luck with a statement confirming there were no current plans in the works to consider the flatpack mega store for Novocastrians and surrounds.
“We understand there is a strong demand for IKEA to come to the Newcastle region,” a IKEA spokesperson said.
“While we currently have no plans to announce for a physical IKEA store for Newcastle, we are constantly looking for new ways to meet our customers and become more accessible to shoppers in the Newcastle area.
“This can involve looking at potential physical sites in many different locations across the country, as well as our website, app and remote shopping offer, and our services like delivery and click and collect.”
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