Shoppers in China rush to Ikea after furniture giant announces closure of 7 stores from Feb 2 没关系

[Tragedeigh]

 

[Tragedeigh]

Shoppers clash over furniture at Ikea amid China store closures​

Ikea will close seven stores in China from Feb 2 as it moves from broad expansion to more focused growth and online sales.

Shoppers tussle over furniture during a clearance sale at an Ikea outlet in China as others continue browsing in the background following the announcement of store closures. (Photo: Threads/johnny1315_taiwan)

28 Jan 2026 05:50PM (Updated: 28 Jan 2026 05:54PM)

The furniture retailer announced that it will shut seven of its stores in China starting Feb 2, according to a statement posted on its official WeChat account on Jan 7.

The closure will affect locations including suburban Shanghai, Guangzhou, and several second-tier cities such as Nantong, Xuzhou and Harbin.

The store shutdowns coincide with Ikea's strategic pivot in China, as the retailer plans to shift from scale expansion to targeted growth in major markets such as Beijing and Shenzhen, while boosting online sales, Reuters reported.

According to its statement, Ikea currently operates about 40 stores in mainland China and has recently opened five new outlets of varying sizes.

Ikea said it aims to open more than 10 smaller stores across China in the next two years, with new outlets in Dongguan and Beijing slated to launch in the first half of 2026.

Online reactions to the footage were largely critical of the shoppers' behaviour, though some users made light of the situation.

One user wrote: "You can buy anything on Taobao and Pinduoduo with free shipping." These firms are online retailers.

 

[glockman]

wa lan eh! So xia suay. Can the pap please ensure they don't come to sg?

 

[Tragedeigh]

wa lan eh! So xia suay. Can the pap please ensure they don't come to sg?

5000 years of civilization...

 

[eatshitndie]

even cheap flimsy furniture can’t sell in tiongcock. must give away at 六毛九。race to the gutter.

 

[tobelightlight]

Glad that these type are not going to Japan.. pls cancel all china Japan route for the rest of the year.

 

[syed putra]

wa lan eh! So xia suay. Can the pap please ensure they don't come to sg?

Too late. They came 250 years ago with raffles.

 

[syed putra]

even ikea cannot compete with china kea. Hope china kea open more stores in south east asia.

 

[EnRyu]

 

[Worm]

vibrant CNY shopping