IKEA has said that it will be listening to "all proposals" for the takeover of the vast commercial site that once housed its UK flagship store in Coventry city centre.
The landmark branch, part of the city's skyline for more than a decade, has been closed for good due to operating costs and dwindling visitor numbers.
The store had been due to shut in the summer but the shutters came down several months early in March as the retailer temporarily closed all of its UK outlets as a precaution during the coronavirus pandemic. There had been brief hopes that it would make a brief comeback out of lockdown, but these were dashed when IKEA announced on May 22 that the Coventry location would remain closed.
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The Swedish flat-park furniture chain also said today (Wednesday, May 28) that out of 352 jobs affected at the Coventry branch, 100 new positions had been identified for workers.
The seven-storey building, which was IKEA's first city centre branch, is a major site in Croft Road.
A spokesman said: "Following this process, the property will be marketed and we will look at all proposals we receive for the building and site."
Addressing the future of workers, the representative added: "IKEA has identified up to 100 vacancies elsewhere within IKEA for Coventry co-workers."
Cllr Jim O'Boyle, Cabinet Member for Jobs and Regeneration, has given reassurances that the site will not be used for student housing.
The disposal of such a major building will need a fast turnaround as IKEA confirmed the site itself will be closed down on July 11, 2020.
IKEA has been in Coventry for 13 years
Coventry's IKEA store first opened its doors to the public in December 2007.
Up to 300 shoppers braved the cold and were queueing by the time of the opening at 10am - the first of an estimated 15,000 Sunday turnout. The then Lord Mayor of Coventry Cllr Dave Batten worked up a sweat sawing through a log to officially opened the store in a traditional Swedish ceremony.
The store, in Croft Road, is spread over seven floors and was the world's first city centre Ikea.
Customers browsing around on its first day of opening were entertained by jugglers, face painters and balloon modellers as well as three-piece band Weapons of Sound.
Meanwhile, the chain will reopen stores in 19 other UK locations as retailers began to resume trade as the Government eases lockdown restrictions.
In March, police officers and a security guard closed the Coventry branch as the chain took steps to safeguard the health and hygiene of staff and customers.
The permanent departure of the brand had already been announced in February 2020, when the company said the site was not suitable for its business.
Marsha Smith, Area Manager, IKEA UK and Ireland, said last week: “The decision not to reopen our Coventry store to customers and to close it permanently in the summer, has not been an easy one.
"It has been an honour to be part of this community and we would like to thank our co-workers for their enormous contribution, and our loyal customers for their support, over the last 12 years."
The Coventry store, one of 22 branches in the UK, was built in 2007 and was one of the retailer’s earliest examples of testing a new format to meet its customers' changing needs and expectations. Announcing the closure in February, the furniture giant cited the size of the store over seven levels and the shopping experience for customers as reasons behind the plans.
Competition from retail parks and online retailers also seem to have taken their toll.
At the time, IKEA said: "Given its location and the size of the land available at the time, the store was built over seven levels, which resulted in a significant impact on the operating costs of the store and the shopping experience for customers.
"In addition, the changing behavior of customers in the area who prefer to shop in retail parks and online has 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."
