Ikea: How Brighton's Churchill Square could look after sale

Luckily, there is already an Ikea-owned mall in the UK which we can use to get an idea of what Brighton could expect.

The former Kings Mall, in Hammersmith, London, was run down with more than a quarter of its standing empty.

It was bought by Ikea in 2020 and reopened as Livat just two years later, jam-packed with fresh, exciting outlets.

Livat became host to the first ever high street Ikea store in the country, offering a slimmed down catalogue of furniture but still incredibly handy to have in the city centre.

It is rumoured that Churchill Square’s Ikea would take on the former two-storey Debenhams site.

Apologies to anyone expecting the entire site to be transformed into a full-size Ikea warehouse. Fingers crossed they bring the meatballs, though.

Other stores in Livat include discount supermarket Lidl, a Library of Things (a social enterprise) and Sook, a hireable retail or events space.

Livat in Hammersmith (Image: Google Maps)

But there are of course firm high street favourites with Sainsbury’s, JD Sports, Wilko, H and M, and Footlocker bagging a space in the shopping centre.

And the selection is proving to be a hit with shoppers, with one person saying in a review: “I love it, basically there is everything.”

READ MORE: Ikea 'to buy' Brighton's Churchill Square shopping centre

With another person saying it is their “favourite family place to shop”.

Away from shopping, Livat markets itself as a community space and also offers plenty off arts and crafts classes, many of which are free, as well as a café, a deli, and a sushi restaurant.

Speaking at the time of Livat’s opening, Cindy Andersen, managing director of Ikea’s parent group’s property arm, said the shopping centre was “the first step on our journey to develop more city centre locations”.

And so, with The Sunday Times confirming Ikea is closing in on a deal for a seaside shopping centre, it looks like the city centre is about to undergo a major transformation.