IKEA has announced that they will be opening a Harlow store in the former Homebase store on Edinburgh Way. The Harlow Conservatives Leader, Dan Swords, says they are on a mission to ‘secure investment for Harlow’s future’ and that this is ‘yet more proof we are delivering’.

The announcement follows a string of recent announcements about multi-million investments into Harlow such as the £28 million David Lloyd.

The new store is set to open later this year featuring IKEA’s famous home furnishing inspiration, market hall and bespoke planning services, the store will provide the classic IKEA experience which customers know and love, on a smaller scale.

It will also offer a compact on-the-go food menu for customers to take away – where fans can still expect IKEA’s much-loved meatballs.

Commenting on the announcement, Dan Swords, Leader of Harlow Conservatives said: “We are on a mission to secure investment for Harlow’s future and we are delivering. IKEA is a huge brand which will bring so much to town and it is yet more proof that the work we are doing is bearing fruit.

“From rebuilding the town centre to freezing your council tax, from building to council homes to securing multi-million pound investments the Harlow Conservatives are transforming our town.”

Peter Jelkeby, IKEA UK and Ireland CEO, said: “We know many people want to shop with IKEA but in some instances, we are just too far away. That’s why we are strategically expanding our UK footprint, with the aim of showing up in convenient, accessible locations for our customers.

“Centrally located in retail parks, our new stores mark a major step forward in our expansion plan, making it easier than ever for customers in these areas to shop with us.”

Located in busy retail parks, such as Harlow’s, the stores are the latest in a series of smaller formats which IKEA is opening in the UK.

They are announced ahead of the opening of IKEA’s highly anticipated store on London’s Oxford Street this spring, with the retailer set to open another city centre store in Brighton this year.

Mr Jelkeby added: “Harlow, Chester and Norwich have long been areas of interest to us, and we’re looking forward to bringing the very best of the IKEA experience in a refreshingly compact format to these communities later this year.”

The opening dates for the IKEA stores are yet to be announced. They will join IKEA’s existing portfolio of 21 full IKEA stores in the UK.