LONDON, March 30 — Home furnishings retailer Ikea said today it planned to close its store in Tottenham, north London later this year, impacting 450 workers.

Ikea said it was committed to retaining as many affected workers as possible, noting it would create over 600 other jobs across the capital before the store closes.

A period of consultation with affected workers has begun.

"The proposal to close the Tottenham store follows an extensive assessment of Ikea UK’s presence in London in line with changing shopping behaviours,” Ikea said, noting that last year, almost half of its sales were made online.

"This, combined with the redevelopment of the area where the store is located, prompted (Ikea) to assess the long-term viability of the site.”

Trade union Usdaw said the closure was "devastating news”.

Ikea has five other London stores — in Croydon, Greenwich, Hammersmith, Lakeside and Wembley.

It said it was investing over £1 billion (RM5.5 billion) in London over the next three years, including opening a new fulfilment centre in Dartford in December this year and a new store on Oxford Street in autumn 2023. — Reuters