It’s all happening today.

No, we’re not pulling your leg. Flatpack giant IKEA is arriving in Newcastle today with a twist – it’s for one day only and in slightly different form.  

That’s right, Australia’s eleventh IKEA store is arriving, but in the form of a bright yellow IKEA telephone box, sadly sans Swedish meatballs.

The purpose? To show customers in regional centres how they too can shop at IKEA, even if they are far away from an iconic blue box store.

The IKEA phone box – which will be at Dixon Park Beach between 8am and 4pm – will give the chance for visitors to interact and shop with IKEA via their remote shopping channel.

The bright yellow box will provide customers with a direct line to the IKEA customer centre, where they can experience everything remote shopping at IKEA can offer including ordering directly or booking a virtual face-to-face appointment to design a kitchen.

Spokesperson for IKEA Australia Gary Cocks said they’re removing the barriers for regional customers with remote shopping.  

 “We know customers love the unique experience of coming to a physical IKEA store, but we also know that especially for our customers living in a regional city or town around Australia, it’s often not practical to visit us in person,” he said.

“By introducing remote shopping, we want to create the experience of having the home furnishing expertise IKEA is known and loved for on-hand for our customers regardless of where they are in Australia.”

It’s not the first time the idea of IKEA in Newcastle has been floated, with the Swedish fave making headlines back in 2022 after announcing a store.

The flatpack giant sneakily confirmed the news in May 2022, saying they were looking to secure a location in Newcastle, which will be a first for the NSW city.

The Newcastle location was set to be a Planning Studio, which is a brand new concept from IKEA that sees customers plan and order complex home furnishings products and services such as kitchens, wardrobes and console units. It also boasts a collection point close by where customers will be able to collect products.

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Images: Getty Images / Bloomberg Contributer

By Bek Lougher