IKEA will open its first compact store in Canada on Sept. 29 at White Oaks Mall in London, Ont., taking 43,000 SF of former Hudson’s Bay space as the shopping centre continues to re-lease the former department-store box.

The store at 1105 Wellington Rd. will carry more than 2,500 everyday and seasonal products, including about 400 furniture items available for immediate purchase. Customers will also be able to order from IKEA’s full assortment for delivery or collection.

The smaller footprint gives IKEA another way to expand without the land and building requirements of its traditional suburban warehouse stores. IKEA has been testing similar formats in the U.S., including stores in Arcadia, Calif., and Phoenix.

The strategy is still evolving. A 35,000-SF store in San Marcos, Texas, that opened in July 2025 is scheduled to close Nov. 1 after IKEA opted not to renew its lease.

Smaller stores can fit into spaces that would not accommodate a traditional IKEA, giving mall owners another potential user for portions of large former anchor boxes.

White Oaks landlord Westdell Development has been repositioning the former Hudson’s Bay space as part of broader plans for the approximately 697,000-SF mall, including additional retail, restaurants, entertainment, hotel and residential uses.

Pictured: IKEA’s small-format store in Arcadia, Calif. The retailer will open its first Canadian compact store in London, Ont.