IKEA Arlon; Credit: Chronicle.lu

IKEA Arlon is celebrating its 20th anniversary with special 15% discounts available this Saturday 17 May 2025 at its store just across the border in Arlon. 

The building was constructed there as planning regulations - which have since been adapted - forbade retail stores of such size to be operated within the Grand Duchy. 

A total of 340 staff work at the 35,000 m2 store, of whom 81 have been there since the start. According to the store, almost 55% of customers come from the Grand Duchy

Christopher Burman, the store manager, has worked 21 years at IKEA, of which he has spent almost six years in Luxembourg (after stints with the company in Spain, Milan and Germany). He said that it was just “cash & carry” when he arrived, but the store has experienced many changes and investments since, including eCommerce offering online ordering. Launched in March, they are already currently planning to expand the number of “pick-up lockers” available to customers 24/7. 

He mentioned that the store has invested in two drones to be able to check on stock management at night; space management for storage is paramount; they use robotics for picking at the central warehouse but not at the local store in Arlon.  

Elise Dupuis mentioned that the Covid-19 pandemic meant shoppers now want something different, with their “Click & Collect” service being very popular, with the store experiencing two large extensions within the 20 years, specifically to support its eCommerce offering which attracted 21,624 orders in 2024. This now means that the original warehouse in the Grand Duchy is no longer used.

Talking with Chronicle.lu, Christopher Burman also explained the company’s power strategy within which they have roof-mounted photovoltaic cells (solar panels) to harness the sun’s energy to help contribute towards the store’s electricity / power usage; he also mentioned that they currently have four electric vehicle charging points and this will shortly be increased to twelve, with three electric vehicles in their delivery fleet to be expanded to twelve. In addition, rainwater is recycled within the building.

Its 380-seat restaurant served 327,000 hot meals in 2024.

The additional retail until alongside IKEA Arlon housing half a dozen shops was originally developed by IKEA to help drive more business to the area, but was later sold off.