‘Little Ikea' homeware store opening more UK shops - with '50 locations planned'
The Danish retailer is aiming to have 100 stores on the UK high street, with the stores opening in Harrogate, Canary Wharf and Stirling over the next few weeks
The Danish home furnishings chain Søstrene Grene - which has been coined "little Ikea" because of its low prices - is continuing its high street expansion across the UK.
According a report from Retail Gazette, the family-owned retailer is set to open a further 50 UK sites over the next two years, with the first of these new stores opening this summer.
The retailer is aiming to have 100 stores on the UK high street, with the stores opening in Harrogate, Canary Wharf and Stirling over the next few weeks.
Søstrene Grene has built a reputation - as well as a cult following - for selling affordable homeware bits and bobs in the Danish "hygge" aesthetic, which means a "special state of contentment, warmth and belonging to the present". Fans have coined the retailer "little Ikea" because of its low prices.
Bits sold by the retailer include furniture such as chairs, rugs, side tables and bookshelves, stationery, hobby items, children's toys, and kitchen and garden accessories.
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Søstrene Grene opened its first store in the UK in 2016 and opened its Oxford Circus flagship site in March this year. This opening marked the retailer's fifth London location.
Founded by the husband and wife team Inger Grene and Knud Cresten Vaupell Olsen in Denmark in 1973, Søstrene Grene currently has over 330 stores across 17 European markets. The majority of its high street stores are located in major cities including Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Hamburg, Dublin, Munich, Zurich, Vienna, Oslo, Stockholm and Copenhagen.
The UK openings are part of a wider growth plan for Europe, which will see 60 new store openings this year. The brand is also expecting to grow its e-commerce presence from 15 to 17 markets by the end of the year.
Speaking about the ambitious plan, Søstrene Grene's CEO and co-owner Mikkel Grene said: 'Customers in the UK have responded incredibly positively to the Søstrene Grene concept.
'We continue to see strong footfall, high levels of engagement, and real appetite for new locations – even in areas where other retailers are pulling back. It gives us confidence not only to expand, but to do so in a way that supports and complements local high streets.'
He added: 'We're making long-term investments because we believe in the continued relevance of physical retail – especially when it delivers a meaningful customer experience and emotional connection.
'We see an opportunity to bring something different to the UK high street, at a time when fresh thinking is needed.'
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