IKEA Preston store: Location, opening times and what can you expect from the new store

IKEA is putting the finishing touches to its new Plan & Order Point which opens at Deepdale Retail Park at 9am on Monday, July 24.

The Scandinavian furniture and homewares retailer has also erected its familiar blue and yellow sign while work is nearly finished on the kitchen and bedroom showrooms.

With just days before the doors swing open, we take a look at everything we know about Preston’s new IKEA store and what customers can look forward to.

What is an IKEA Plan & Order Point?

IKEA’s Plan & Order Points allows customers to order any item from the website and collect it free of charge from the unit at Deepdale Retail Park.

It will also feature kitchen and bedroom showrooms, showcasing some of IKEA’s latest and most popular designs.

Although much smaller than a standard IKEA store, the Plan and Order point will provide information, samples, tools and ‘specialist knowledge’ to help plan a kitchen or bedroom make-over.

Customers will also be able to book a free design appointment with one of IKEA’s expert advisers at the store and order items for home delivery or collection.

Why Preston?

The Plan & Order Points are a new trading concept from IKEA, with Preston being one of the first locations to pilot the new stores.

IKEA said the new Preston store is intended to make its furniture more accessible for those in Lancashire, saving customers the 30 mile journey up the M6 to the IKEA superstore in Warrington.

It will also cater to those customers who are looking for a specific, targeted service for planning and buying fitted kitchens and bedroom furniture, with IKEA’s interior advisors happy to visit your home to help plan a makeover.

Area manager Michael Parker said: "We need to be close to where people live, work and socialise. We also have a soft spot for the North West as our first UK store was opened in Warrington 35 years ago.

“The plan and order points allow customers to go into the store and get all of the inspiration and see some really clever storage solutions and then sit down with one of the kitchen specialists at IKEA and spend all the time they want planning their dream.

“We're starting to enable an IKEA that is more accessible and we've already started to introduce home planning into the North West.

"That's where if customers want help planning a kitchen then a co-worker will go to a customer's home and help them plan. The customer can also do that online or remotely if they want.”

What happened to a new IKEA planned for South Ribble?

In 2018, the retailer pulled the plug on plans for a first of its kind Lancashire IKEA on the edge of the M65 and M6 motorways, close to Bamber Bridge.

There are now plans to build a retail and business park on the site instead. You can find out more on the latest plans here.