Ikea set to open first Sussex store in Brighton

The new shop is smaller than other Ikeas so certain items will be delivered or available for click and collect

Ikea is to open its new store in Brighton in a move which will bring more than 150 jobs to the city.

The new branch - its first in Sussex - opens on Thursday, replacing a former Debenhams unit, with about 6,700 sq m of retail space across two floors.

Churchill Square manager Mark Buchanan-Smith said he was "super excited" and it was "brilliant" to have Ikea as its "main anchor".

However, one local shopkeeper has spoken of her trepidation at the arrival of the Swedish retail giant.

Martha Tiffin, who co-owns and runs the nearby independent houseware shop Utility, said: "Obviously, we cannot compete on price [but] if we can survive this, we can survive anything."

Ikea's parent company, Ingka, bought Churchill Square shopping centre for an estimated £145m in November 2023.

The new shop is smaller than many Ikea sites so certain furniture items will be delivered or available for click and collect.

Previous plans for a full-size shop in Lancing were axed in 2021 with the company blaming changing customer habits.

Mr Buchanan-Smith said those wishing to go to Ikea have previously had to travel to Southampton or East Croydon.

Mark Buchanan-Smith, centre manager for Churchill Square, and Karina Gilpin, store manager

Bella Sankey, leader of Brighton & Hove City Council, previously said the opening of the new shop was a "real vote of confidence" in the city, bringing new jobs and investment into the local economy.

Minutes away in the North Laines, George Diplocks, who runs the consignment shop Diplock's Yard, said the new Ikea "won't make a difference" to his business.

"Small businesses are going under anyway," he said, adding the proliferation of cafes and restaurants around his business meant people were not coming to the area to shop.

Meanwhile, Ikea manager Karina Gilpin, said the new store would have "everything you need for the home under one roof" as well as food to eat in or take away.

"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 added.