Picture shows IKEA being stripped bare amid reports of clear-out

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The giant Coventry store's reception area has been emptied amid reports of stock being redistributed



The mothballed IKEA store in Coventry city centre is reportedly being cleared out ahead of its permanent closure this summer.

Staff are said to be in the process of stripping stock out of the landmark outlet so it can be redistributed to other branches.

A picture taken today (May 20) shows the ground floor reception area of the building has been stripped clean, in stark contrast to its formerly lively presentation.

Welcome and direction signs have been removed and the café has been boarded up.

The barren scenes follow reports from readers who reacted to our story on IKEA’s future over the weekend by saying that staff are “emptying out” the store.

The Swedish furniture giant temporarily closed its 22 UK and Ireland branches on March 20 in what it described as a “precautionary measure” to guard against coronavirus a day before the Government's lockdown announcement.

However, the major store in Coventry was already seeing out its time before permanent closure this summer for financial reasons. As the Government eases the lockdown trading restrictions, it seems unlikely that there will be a temporary reprieve before the doors close for good.

Councillor Jim O’Boyle, cabinet member for jobs and regeneration, has previously been in touch with IKEA about the future of the site.

Cllr O’Boyle said: “Any plans will be subject to ongoing discussions. I’m not in a position to say anything at the moment. It’s IKEA’s building. I can’t say anything more than that.”

Reflecting on the future of the site, Cllr O’Boyle said: “Clearly I would like to see the site retained for some good use in the future, we will have to see what happens.

"I can categorically say it won’t be used for student housing.”

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"I can categorically say it won’t be used for student housing.”

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Cllr O’Boyle said: “... I’m not in a position to say anything at the moment.

Story of his life

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Ikea urges shoppers to head to Birmingham as Coventry store closes for good



Ikea urged people from Coventry to head to Birmingham, Milton Keynes or Nottingham to shop as it announced our store would never open again.

The Swedish furniture giant confirmed today the city centre Ikea would remain shut as others return from lockdown.

The company announced in February it planned to close the branch, where 350 people live.

Now, if people from Coventry want to shop at Ikea, they need to travel nearly 30 miles to Ikea Birmingham, which is actually in Wednesbury.

Marsha Smith, area manager IKEA UK and Ireland, said: “We are continuing to work with unions, specialist support agencies and directly with organisations that are currently recruiting to ensure that all of our co-workers have the right support, retraining and the best opportunity of finding a new job.”

In a statement, Ikea said the Coventry store was hit from people preferring shop in retail parks and online.

It said that had resulted in visitor numbers "being substantially lower than expected" and continuing to decrease over time.

These factors have led to the store making consistent losses.

It continues: "Ikea has also looked at options for downsizing or reconfiguring the store, but the nature of the site means this is not a realistic option."

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Here's how much IKEA's former landmark store is estimated to be worth



It represented a major wedge of Coventry’s city centre shopping experience for more than a decade – and the mammoth former IKEA building has a price tag to match.

The seven-storey premises has been given an estimated value of £52million by experts.

This is based on the vast size of the mothballed premises – approximately 280,000 sq ft – and the average £186 cost per sq ft of the CV1 postcode district.

The original estimated value of the site in Croft Road at the time IKEA launched its first city centre branch with much fanfare 13 years ago was £35million.

The site, which had room for 9,500 products, is currently being marketed having been wound down and closed since the Swedish flat-packed furniture retailer announced its departure from Coventry in February 2020.

The chain is staying tight-lipped about any future plans for the big blue building, other than saying it is keeping all options open, but the price tag has been estimated by GetAgent.co.uk

James Forrester, managing director of Birmingham estate agent Barrows and Forrester and property developer StripeHomes, viewed a regeneration project as one positive option.

He said: “Any major regeneration is positive for the area and will help bring new business and new employment opportunities, as well as boosting consumer activity.

"In turn this will help stimulate both the commercial and residential property markets, both of which have been in need of a boost after months of political and pandemic uncertainty.

"The combination of all of the above is great for the wider economy and should help lay the foundations of a bright future for the city."

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This is based on the vast size of the mothballed premises – approximately 280,000 sq ft – and the average £186 cost per sq ft of the CV1 postcode district.

Hogwash, they can't find tenants for the space that's already available! The place cost £22.5m to build and they'll be lucky to get half of that back again.

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Coventry's empty Ikea site will lose Coventry £9m a year, experts warn

Coventry city centre faces losing £9million a year in tax and wages as long as the vast IKEA site remains empty, according to a stark estimate from a property expert.

The former flagship store shut in February 2020 but the seven-storey building has remained shuttered-down in a prime part of the central shopping district.

CoventryLive took part in a walkabout today (Thursday, October 1) where two council cabinet members and an officer talked about the reshaping project.

But the continued absence of a new tenant for one of the largest retail units in the city will have a “notable impact”, according to a property expert.

Ikea has remained tight-lipped about any negotiations for the site, which was being marketed over the summer.

The lost business tax revenue has been estimated at around £1million per year.

Based on wages for 352 staff, calculated on the average net £22,545 salary for Coventry, another £7,935,840 can be added to the hit.

James Forrester, Managing Director of Barrows and Forrester estate agents, said: “The closure of Coventry Ikea is going to have a pretty notable impact for the city through lost business tax revenue and more importantly, for those who will find themselves out of work."

Cllr Jim O’Boyle, cabinet member for jobs and regeneration, who took part in the walkabout, said today that there was no update to an “ongoing conversation” about the future of the site.

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Coventry's Ikea building could be transformed into huge arts hub



Multi-million pound plans to transform the old IKEA building in Coventry into an arts facility showcasing "some of the country's greatest works of art" have been revealed.

Coventry City Council plans to purchase the building and convert it into a space for culture and art exhibitions.

They say it will "leave a lasting legacy from Coventry’s upcoming year as UK City of Culture".

The plans are set to be discussed in a full council meeting next week.

If approved, the landmark project would see Arts Council England relocate the Arts Council Collection from two current collection stores to Coventry.

It would also allow the public greater access to Coventry’s own cultural and heritage collections.

Councillor Jim O’Boyle, Coventry City Council’s Cabinet Member for jobs and regeneration, added: “I know a lot of people were disappointed when IKEA took the decision to close the Coventry store back in March 2020.

“As a Council we said we wanted to look at ways of bringing this landmark building back into use as something special and I believe this is what this proposal will achieve.

“It will bring jobs and skills to Coventry and will be something we can all be proud of as a city, as it will attract interest regionally, nationally and internationally.”

The plans will be discussed at the full council meeting of Coventry City Council on February 23.

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So they can't find a tenant for the pig ugly monstrosity and this is their answer. We'll be saddled with it for years to come.

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Councillor David Welsh, Coventry City Council’s Cabinet Member for housing and communities which covers culture and the arts, said: “This exciting and amazing proposal really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create something Coventry people can be rightly proud of as well as a national and international centre of excellence that will be a lasting legacy from our year as UK City of Culture.

Yeah. right!