Furniture giant Ikea has started sharing its retail space with other brands as part of several pilot projects. Decathlon and Thomas Philipps are among the first to come on board.
Ikea: Decathlon Moves Into the Iconic Blue Store
Ingka Group, the parent company of Ikea, has unveiled plans set to reshape the shopping experience at its signature blue furniture stores. Under the new concept, third-party retailers will be given dedicated retail space inside Ikea locations.
As part of a pilot project, a store operated by Decathlon will be integrated into the Ikea outlet in Croydon, south of London. Within the 25,000-square-meter furniture store, around 1,200 square meters will soon be allocated to sporting goods instead of home furnishings. The opening is scheduled for later this spring.
Project also planned in Austria
Another shared store is being prepared in Austria: Ingka Group plans to invest €11 million to renovate the Ikea store in Klagenfurt by fall 2026. A nearly 2,600-square-meter Thomas Philipps store will be part of the reopening.
By bringing in the household and garden discounter, Ikea is welcoming a tenant whose product range partially overlaps with that of the Swedish home furnishing retailer – somewhat of an exception within the retail landscape. More broadly, the expansion of non-endemic brands, whose core products do not traditionally align with the host environment, into other sales floors – whether through products or ads – has long become a trend.
Ikea has been testing its role as a landlord for retail space since late 2025 when an 18-month pilot project was launched in Sweden. Here, Ikea is partnering with electronics retailer Kjell & Company to enable customers to complement their furniture purchases with smart home systems and other tech gadgets.
