Ikea fans in the London area will get their early Christmas present in about a month as a “pickup” outlet opens in south London.

But the big prize, a full Ikea store, may finally be on the horizon as the giant Swedish furnishing chain says it will expand to 24 stores in Canada from 12 in the next decade.

The Ikea bricks-and-mortar expansion comes at a time when other retail chains are contracting, most recently with the closing of Future Shop stores.

Ikea Canada president Stefan Sjöstrand told the Toronto Board of Trade last week that the company’s online sales and traditional stores complement each other.

“We know that when customers come to our stores they want to get inspired.”

Sjöstrand said Ikea also will move to new store formats but wouldn’t say if they would be smaller than the current, that average 323,000 square feet.

Ikea Canada spokesperson Tanya Bevington said an announcement about the locations of the new stores may be made soon.

“We will look at existing cities, new cities, existing store formats, new store formats. Stay tuned, we will have more information in the new year.”

Having a pickup outlet in the city will not exclude London from consideration for a new store, Bevington said.

Renovations are underway for the new London pickup outlet for an early December opening but no date has been set, she said.

Ikea announced in May it was opening the pickup outlet in the former’s Angelo’s store.

The new London location is intended to supplement Ikea’s growing online business, allowing customers to place and pick up online orders

But the store also will carry 99 of Ikea’s most popular items for sale on site.

Pickup outlets will open in Quebec City in December and another three next spring in Whitby, St. Catharines and Windsor.

For years London shoppers have had to travel to Ikea’s closest store in Burlington, and rumours of Ikea building a store in London have been a popular urban myth.

hank.daniszewski@sunmedia.ca

twitter.com/HankatLFPress

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London store

20,000 square feet, one-tenth the size of a regular Ikea.

Opening on Wonderland Road south of Southdale Road (former Angelo’s South)

Goods can be ordered, picked up; limited shopping.

20 staff, 75 home furnishing displays, 10 tablets to order goods.

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IKEA Canada stores

Richmond, Coquitlam, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Etobicoke, North York, Burlington, Vaughan, Ottawa, Montreal, Boucherville

Pick-up Points: London, Quebec City (December), Whitby, St. Catharines, Windsor (Spring 2016)

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IKEA Canada