Homeware chain known as 'little Ikea' wants to double UK stores in big expansion

A trendy homeware chain dubbed 'little Ikea' by shoppers has ambitious plans to double the number of stores in the UK.

Søstrene Grene has developed a cult following since launching its first store in Britain back in 2016. The family-owned brand, which has since expanded across the North of England, is known for its Scandinavian design-led approach, offering a curated set of homeware, kitchen items, gifts, stationery and more to a growing customer base.

Each store follows a maze-like layout, similar to that of Swedish giant Ikeaand Flying Tiger in Copenhagen, promoting slow browsing and discovery before reaching the checkouts near the exit. Now it's looking to expand much further as plans have since been announced.

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The Danish retailer welcomed in punters at a whopping 47 new locations this year alone, with a majority of those in the UK and Germany. Moving forward, however, it is showing little to no signs of slowing down as the group aims to open 20 more by the end of 2025, reaching in and around 100 in Britain come 2027.

It comes after the firm confirmed they saw "particularly high performance in the UK" where revenues are said to have soared by a staggering 130% year-on-year. Meanwhile, Søstrene Grene has also announced it will open a £36 million distribution centre in the Netherlands that will measure 445,000sqm.

“We are proud to announce another record year, with exceptional top-line growth and a solid result despite major investments and structural changes," said Søstrene Grene group CEO and co-owner Mikkel Grene in a statement.

“The UK has been a major growth driver, and the warm response from British customers has exceeded expectations. Our record-breaking Christmas season was also a key contributor to the results, underlining the growing loyalty of our customer base.”

These expansion plans come at a time when many shops on the high street are bringing the shutters down. Discount brand Poundland continues to close outlets, with four shutting in October alone, while the likes of Sports Direct, Starbucks, JD Sports, Natwest and more are also leaving a number of locations across the UK.

JD Sports revealed group like-for-like sales fell 2.5% to £5.94billion across the 26 weeks ending August 2. Organic sales climbed 2.7% whilst total sales surged 18% following acquisitions of the Hibbert and Courir brands. The retailer confirmed like-for-like sales plummeted 3.8% in its crucial North American division and fell 3.3% domestically

Chief executive Regis Schultz said: "We delivered organic sales growth of 2.7% in H1, in what remains a tough trading environment. This demonstrates the resilience of our business, underpinned by our agile multi-brand model, broad geographic reach and unmatched connection with customers."

"In an environment of strained consumer finances and evolving brand product cycles, operating and financial discipline remains a core focus for JD, and we are controlling our costs and cash well.

"Whilst we remain cautious on the trading environment for the second half, we expect limited impact from US tariffs this financial year, and our full year profit before tax and adjusting items to be in line with current market expectations."