IKEA has five stores in Greece, with plans for at least three more locations to increase its 14 percent share of the Greek home market and meet consumer demand for what locals describe as “affordable, trendy” furniture. However, the debt crisis has flattened sales, causing the largest furniture retailer (Neoset) to shut down and SATO to withdraw from the market as of November 2012. Fourlis has since shifted focus to other countries, a decision validated by a . *Article last updated January 2, 2015 This post was created before the IKEA Greece website offered an English version in early 2011, but their 2012 revamp is (again) only in Greek. Info below has been updated and expanded. Addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and hours of operation for each location in Greece. All feature a restaurant, supervised playroom and free parking (spaces limited). 1. IKEA Athens – Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport, Spata Tel: 801 11 22 722 or (210) 35 43 403
Fax: (210) 35 43 599 Open: Monday – Friday 10:00 – 21:00 and Saturday 10:00 – 20:00 How to get there a) By public transport: Take the metro and proastiakos/suburban railway toward the airport, or any Athens airport ‘X’ bus and get off at stop ‘IKEA.’ b) By car: Use highway ‘Attiki Odo’, take exit 20 ‘Pros El. Venizelos’ and continue toward ‘Goods and Services’ and turning left in the roundabout before getting to the airport entrance. 12th km Thessalonikis – Piraeus Tel: 801 11 22 722 Fax: (2310) 475 150 Open: Monday – Friday 10:00 – 21:00 and Saturday 10:00 – 20:00 *Free Wi-Fi in the restaurant a) By public transport: Accessible via buses 2, 3, 8, 67, 69, 72, 76, 87 and 88. b) By car: Use Thessaloniki-Peraia/Pylaia toward the airport (aerodromio). 3. IKEA Athens – Aigaleo a) By public transport: Take bus 420 or 829 and get off at stop ‘IKEA.’ Also accessible by metro to stop ‘Aigaleo,’ then remainder of journey by bus 829.
b) By car: Use Leof. 4. IKEA Larissa – Thessaly 8th km Old National Road Larissa-Athens Fax: (2410) 568 599 a) By public transport: Catch KTEL bus 15 from the central square, buy a ticket on the bus, stop is in front of IKEA store. b) By car: Store is located at the junction where the old and new National Highways Thessaloniki-Larissa/Athens meet. Use exit 4 if coming from Thessaloniki, and exit 1 if coming from Athens. Size: 18,500 sq. meters 5. IKEA Ioannina – Originally scheduled to open early 2010, then postponed November, it finally opened December 18. 130th km Ioannina-Athens National Road Fax: (2651) 955 59 Open: Monday – Friday 10:00 – 21: 00 and Saturday 10:00 – 20:00 a) By public transport: Catch KTEL Ioannina bus from central square, buy ticket on the bus, stop is in front of the IKEA store. b) By car: Use National Highway Ioannina-Athens. There are two Greek island locations where customers can place IKEA catalog orders and arrange delivery or collect items in person, as of November 2012.
They ‘order and collection’ centers, rather than fully stocked stores with inventory. 2nd km on Rhodes-Lindos highway, next to Intersport Delivery to: Chalki, Karpathos, Leros, Nisyros, Patmos, Rhodes, Symi and Tilos.Karamanlis Konstantinou 404/Souda Road After years of debating whether to build a physical store in Irakleio or an online store to serve all Greek islands, a location has been announced for Chania, Crete. Due to the rising cost of doing business in Greece and falling sales, Fourlis said it would not open any new stores until after 2012 and gave no specific opening dates. 7. IKEA Athens (3rd store) – Announced for end of 2011 8. IKEA Xanthi – Announced for end of 2011 In several places in Greece, there are IKA signs. To understand the difference between IKA and IKEA, see “IKEA vs. IKA in Greece.” The Fourlis Group said its plan to open 10-12 IKEA stores in the Balkans over 10 years is on track, despite a 42.6 percent decrease in net profits in 2009.
Stores planned for Greece have been delayed or scrapped because of the debt crisis, with now planned in Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania and Cyprus. Now only in Greek, after a late-April 2011 relaunch: www.ikea.gr There is currently an option to shop online, as of mid-2014. However, selection is very limited. You can check if a certain item is in stock by clicking the product and selecting a store. Also be aware that not all items at IKEA Greece are online to view, which is why they encourage people to visit. and selecting a country. IKEA Greece typically begins distribution of the new catalog every year on or around August 30, a month later than other countries; it’s offered only in Greek and hand-delivered to all homes in Greece. However, the new IKEA catalog was late in 2013 and 2014. The is available online and via iOS/Android as of . The 2014 IKEA Greece catalog is no longer online. There is no printed version in English. However, a similar presentation in English to the IKEA Greece catalog can be viewed online or downloaded at IKEA Ireland.
They are not identical, as each contains country-specific information and separate promotions, but both versions feature the same products with relatively the same layout. Take note that IKEA Greece and IKEA Ireland are owned by different companies, so the Irish catalog should only be used for translation purposes, not as an indicator of prices in Greece. Saying and spelling IKEA (Ικεα) in Greek is the same in English. IKEA offers a gift card or in any amount between 5-500 euros. Perfect for students, baby and new parents, newlyweds or friends and relatives located elsewhere in Greece, as they can pick out what they want. IKEA delivers everywhere on mainland Greece and the Greek islands using independent contractors via regular or courier service. Shoppers can view a price list and make arrangements in person at the help desk located in the area after checkout and before the exit. Some staff speak English. Customer service notes the condition of your items, then calculates costs based on number of items, weight and delivery location.
Curbside delivery is customary, and an extra charge applies for door-to-door service. Appointments are normally four-hour windows in morning, afternoon and evening, including Saturdays, and you can request that the Greek-speaking delivery person call an hour before arrival. Named recipients or an authorized representative (assigned via police-certified dilosi) must be home to receive items and should inspect them for damage before refusing or consenting to sign the receipt of satisfactory acceptance. IKEA Greece offer furniture assembly on some items for a fee, as do independent contractors. In addition to being a year behind other countries in its offerings, IKEA Greece prices are often 15-300 percent higher than other stores worldwide. When I made a direct inquiry to IKEA headquarters as to why prices in Greece are higher in spite of its proximity to Sweden, IKEA said that each franchise is entitled to set their own prices, either making products more affordable for consumers or earning more profit.
The Fourlis Group — which owns the exclusive franchise rights for IKEA in Greece, Bulgaria and Cyprus — obviously chose themselves. “Fourlis profits up 15 percent at €5.6 million.” IKEA Greece lowered prices in 2010 on some items as Bloomberg reported in, “Greeks get cheaper IKEA shelves, but was again selling the and one of three countries that raised prices in the euro region even though unemployment is still more than 27 percent. In November 2012, it announced an employee salary cut of 8-15 percent, as is typical in the private sector where many began seeing reductions of up to 35 percent in late 2010. Salaries were still dropping as of 2014. The Fourlis Group maintains a ‘Careers’ database of job vacancies at: www.fourlisgroup-careers.gr Non-EU citizens must have authorization to work in Greece. See, “How Americans/non-EU citizens can live and work in Greece.” “ΙΚΕΑ: Λιγότερες οι ζημιές στο α΄ εξάμηνο του 2013” — To Vima
“Fourlis opens door to fourth IKEA store in Greece” – eKathimerini “Fourlis to invest 30 million euros” – eKathimerini “Fourlis secures 100 percent control of IKEA franchise in Bulgaria” – Fourlis “Ικανοποιητικά τα αποτελεσμάτα της ΙΚΕΑ για το τρίτο τρίμηνο, λέει ο Fourlis” – Ta Nea “ΙΚΕΑ: 10-12 καταστήματα μέχρι το 2013” – Imerisia “2010 IKEA Greece online catalogue “Δέκα ΙΚΕΑ έως το 2010 από τον όμιλο Φουρλή” “ΙΚΕΑ στη Σόφια με ελληνική σφραγίδα” — Ta Nea “Και η ΙΚΕΑ συζητά deal στον Πειραιά” — To Vima “Greek retailer Fourlis Group nine-month profits down 32 percent” (November 2009) – Reuters “Downturn hits Fourlis’ IKEA sales” (February 2010) – Kathimerini “Greek furniture retailers following one-stop IKEA concept” — Kathimerini