Ikea has announced the closure of its Coventry store - the first big UK outlet the company has ever shut. On Tuesday, the Swedish firm announced it was closing the £35m city centre store after years of "consistent losses" and fewer than expected visitors. But it rejected suggestions there were wider problems with its brand. It said it faced local rather than national issues and suggested the store's seven levels had never proved cost-effective and had also adversely impacted on the customer experience. It added there was a local preference for shopping at retail parks, rather than the city centre. Ikea - which has 22 UK stores - also stated it was committed to UK growth. But it did concede it was contending with the lure of online shopping. They are fans of the physical shopping experience and do not fancy e-commerce. Ikea's website, they said, meant having to pay for the firm's "really expensive" delivery.
