IKEA’s largest physical store in the Philippines is now open. BUT THERE’S A CATCH!


You need to book a slot first before you may shop inside the store.

IKEA Philippines in MOA when it was under construction, courtesy of Manila Bulletin

IKEA has opened its largest store to date today! There’s a small catch though as shoppers who wish to proceed entry must book a slot first before entering. This is the company’s way of social distancing as well as preventing the spread of COVID-19.

The store is located in Pasay City, adjacent to SM Mall of Asia. The outlet stands at a large 65,000 square meters and consists of 5 floors. The store was prepared as early as 2016 and construction commenced in 2018. Its opening was originally scheduled for 2020 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“After several years of preparation, we are ready now to live our vision of creating a better everyday life for the many people of the Philippines,” store manager Georg Platzer said during the opening event. “Our vision also includes enabling sustainable and affordable life at home,” he said

The store opened around 10:00 AM Philippine Standard Time but entry is limited. IKEA said that it will limit its number of customers to half of the usual capacity. As it is a large 5-storey building, this is still largely populated.

In addition to the booking of entries, customers are expected to follow COVID-19 protocols which include the wearing of face masks, use of contactless payment, social distancing, and temperature checks.

According to Platzer, there may be more IKEA stores opening in the country. “It’s just a matter of time” he said.

Please click here to book your visit to the largest IKEA store to date and secure your entry.

Source: ABS-CBN News