Ikea has started recruiting for its new store in Brighton with one job advert showing a starting date.
The furniture giant, whose parent company The Ingka Group bought Churchill Square Shopping Centre in 2023, has listed a job for a kitchen sales specialist.
The role has a starting date of May 2025 and a salary of £28,000 per annum,
There is still no official opening date for the new Brighton shop, which will open in the shopping centre's former Debenhams unit on the upper two levels, but the expectation is that the site will open following the launch of Ikea’s store in Oxford Street in London on May 1.
An Ikea spokesman said: "We’re excited to open our Ikea Brighton city centre store this year and we are currently recruiting co-workers locally. Advertised start dates for these roles do not necessarily indicate the store’s opening date – we look forward to announcing our Brighton opening date soon."
The Oxford Street site opening faced delays after the retailer said it was taking longer than expected to renovate the more than 100-year-old building, including fixing leaks in the building’s basement.
Work started on the store, which was previously home to Topshop’s flagship London site, in 2022 and the planned opening has been pushed back twice.
If approved, proposals would see new signage, including digital advertising screens, put in place across two areas of the shopping centre – the front of the centre facing Western Road and the east and west flanks of the centre.
The advert for the kitchen specialist reads: “Ikea Brighton are looking to welcome a kitchen sales specialist.
“Are you passionate about interior design and love bringing creative visions to life? We are looking for talented individuals to help design and sell our customers their dream kitchens. If you have a keen eye for detail and enjoy working with innovative planning tools, we want to hear from you.”
Another job advert, for a unit facility management specialist, says a start date will be discussed at interview.
In January, Ikea revealed it had been working for several months to understand the wants and needs of potential customers in Sussex through home visits and focus groups.
Insights from the research will be used to inform the design of the new store.
Ikea said designers will focus on providing locally relevant, functional, and sustainable home furnishing solutions, inspired by the region’s “distinct local identity”.
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