IKEA backs traffic-free Oxford Street to serve new store

IKEA’s move into the former Topshop store will be a boost for Oxford Street as it tries to regain footfall in the aftermath of the pandemic. — Bloomberg

LONDON: Swedish furniture maker IKEA is backing Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s contentious plan to reserve Oxford Street for pedestrians, as the retail giant opens a store in one of the UK capital’s most popular shopping districts.

“The idea of pedestrianisation, that is going to help shoppers move around here,” Peter Jelkeby, chief executive officer of IKEA United Kingdom, said in an interview at the new store ahead of its opening today.