IKEA opens food markets to help key workers (and three stores will also open to the public)
IKEA Tottenham and IKEA Greenwich have both opened the doors of their Swedish Food Markets to help key workers and vulnerable customers access essential food items. The openings follow IKEA Croydon and IKEA Manchester at the beginning of April, forming a trial from the retailer.
IKEA announced on Wednesday 8t of April its latest efforts to help support key workers and the most vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic, through the opening of the Swedish Food Markets at its Tottenham and Greenwich stores. On the 19th of April three of the stores Swedish Food market will also extend their opening times to the public.
IKEA’s two other London stores are already a part of the effort to support communities in the capital. IKEA Croydon opened its Swedish Food Market for those most in need on Tuesday 31st March and later the public gained limited access, while IKEA Wembley is being used as a COVID-19 testing centre for frontline NHS workers.
The Swedish Food Markets will first and foremost serve key workers including NHS and emergency service workers, along with the elderly, most vulnerable and their carers, and IKEA co-workers. Other members of the public will be admitted certain times and the rest of the store will remain closed.
In addition to its normal range including meatballs, frozen seafood, coffee and condiments, the store will also stock much-needed staple items such as bread, milk, butter and tinned tomatoes.
The decision to open both stores’ Swedish Food Markets is driven by their close proximity to local hospitals; North Middlesex University Hospital and Whipps Cross University Hospital are near to IKEA Tottenham, while IKEA Greenwich is close to the new NHS Nightingale Hospital and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
The 3 London stores will be open Monday – Friday.
IKEA Tottenham, Greenwich and Croydon Opening times (from Monday 20th of April)
In order to ensure customers’ and co-workers’ safety, IKEA is implementing the following measures:
- The flow within the Swedish Food Market will be managed to support social distancing
- 2m social distancing will be measured with markings outside of store should queues arise, as well as throughout the Swedish Food Market leading to tills
- Hand sanitiser will be available at the entrance, exit and at tills, with all customers required to use it before entering
- Customers are asked to keep 2m distance from one another and from co-workers
- Screens at tills will separate co-workers and customers
- Transactions will be by card or contactless payment only
- All areas will be continuously cleaned throughout the day, with trolleys and baskets cleaned after each use
Mike Hawkins, London Market Area Manager, IKEA UK & Ireland, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact every one of us – as individuals, colleagues and as an employer. But serving the communities in which we operate has always been at the heart of what we do. By re-opening some of our Swedish Food Markets across the capital, with enhanced safety and social distancing measures in place, we hope that we can help to make everyday life just a little bit easier for the most vulnerable in our communities, and for the key workers to whom we owe a debt of gratitude. We’re proud to be able to give back in this small way.”
A full list of staple items available can be seen below. A maximum of two products can be purchased at any one time. Except for Pick n Mix, products usually sold in IKEA’s Swedish Food Market are also available.
- Beans 2.62kg – £1.79
- Chopped tomatoes 400g – £0.81
- Milk 2 litre – £1.00
- Butter 250g – £0.91
- Loaf of bread- £0.89
- Porridge, 45g Oat So Simple pot – £0.90
On Friday 27th March, IKEA globally announced a fund of €26m in-kind donations to be used across the 30 countries in which it operates, prioritising the needs of high-risk groups and those leading relief efforts. Together with the NHS, the Red Cross, Barnardo’s and Breaking Barriers, IKEA is working on additional plans to support some of the most vulnerable in its communities through the ongoing crisis, both now and in the longer-term.
