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IKEA Greece

October 19, 2009 at 18:00 ·

IKEA greece

IKEA now has four stores in Greece, with the opening of its Larissa location on October 15, 2009. The Fourlis Group plans to open a fifth IKEA store in Ioannina by early November 2010, with the goal of increasing its 14 percent share of the Greek home market and meeting consumer demand for what locals describe as “affordable, trendy” furniture.

Photo by John Karakatsanis

* Article last updated August 30, 2010

Stores

Addresses, phone numbers, e-mail 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
19019 Spata
Tel: 801 11 22 722
Fax: (210) 35 43 599
E-mail: cs.athenseast@ikea.gr
Open: Monday – Friday 10.00 – 21.00 and Saturday 10.00 – 20.00

2. IKEA Thessaloniki
12th km Thessalonikis – Piraeus
57001 Pylaia
Tel: 801 11 22 722
Fax: (2310) 475 150
E-mail: cs.thessaloniki@ikea.gr
 Open: Monday – Friday 10.00 – 21.00  and Saturday 10.00 – 20.00
*Free Wi-Fi in the restaurant (pilot program)

3. IKEA Athens – Aigaleo
Kifissou 96
12241 Aigaleo
Tel: 801 11 22 722
Fax: (210) 5400599
E-mail: cs.athenscenter@ikea.gr
Open: Monday – Friday 10.00 – 21.00 and Saturday 10.00 – 20.00

4. IKEA Larissa – Thessaly
8th km Old National Road Larissa-Athens
41500 Nikaia
Tel: 801 11 22 722
Fax: (2410) 568 599
E-mail: cs.thessalia@ikea.gr
Open: Monday – Friday 10.00 – 21.00 and Saturday 10.00 – 20.00

Size: 18,500 sq. meters
Parking spaces: 1136

5. IKEA Ioannina – Opening November 2010

6. IKEA Athens (3rd store) – Announced for end of 2011

7. IKEA Xanthi – Announced for end of 2011

8. IKEA Crete – Announced. But as of August 2009, it was still being debated as to whether to build a physical store in Irakleio or an online store to serve all Greek islands.

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 expansion to 10-12 IKEA stores in the Balkans by 2013 is on track, despite a 42.6 percent decrease in net profits in 2009.

IKEA Greece website

In Greek and English (limited). There is currently no option to shop online in Athens or nationwide in Greece.

www.ikea.gr

IKEA websites abroad can be accessed by going to www.ikea.com and selecting a country.

IKEA Greece Catalog in English

IKEA Greece typically begins distribution of the new catalog to homes all over the country every year on August 30, a month later than other countries; it’s offered only in Greek and can also be delivered to your iPhone for free. The 2011 IKEA catalog is on its way* and can be found online here: “2011 IKEA Greece Online Catalogue.”

There is no printed version in English. However, a presentation similar to the IKEA Greece catalog can be viewed online in English by using the one from Ireland. See “IKEA Ireland online catalogue in English.”

They are not identical, as each contains country-specific information, but both versions have 384 pages and 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.

IKEA Greece does not currently have an e-store for online shopping or the option to place orders by phone. But saying and spelling IKEA (Ικεα) in Greek is the same in English.

*All homes in Greece get a catalog hand-delivered to their door; it’s not necessary to get on a mailing list.

Delivery

IKEA delivers everywhere on mainland Greece and the Greek islands using independent contractors. 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.

Arrangements cannot be made by phone or via e-mail because 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. 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 does not offer furniture assembly, but independent contractors can be hired for a fee.

Why are IKEA prices in Greece so high?

In addition to being a year behind other countries in its offerings, IKEA Greece is often up to double even triple the price of 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 for themselves. The Fourlis Group — which owns the exclusive franchise rights for IKEA in Greece, Bulgaria and Cyprus — obviously made the latter choice. “Fourlis profits up 15 percent at €5.6 million.”

Want to work for IKEA in Greece?

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.”

Sources

“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”

In the News

“Greek retailer Fourlis Group nine-month profits down 32 percent” (November 2009) – Reuters
“Downturn hits Fourlis’ IKEA sales” (February 2010) – Kathimerini
“Το Νοέμβριο ανοιγει το ΙΚΕΑ στα Γιάννενα” — Click News

Related posts

“IKEA vs. IKA – there is a difference”
“IKEA Dubai vs. IKEA Athens” – Waiting for Skopelos
“Name and shame: Fleecing and IKEA furniture delivery” – Greek Madness

9 Comments »

  dwain wrote @ October 20th, 2009 at 18:27

Merciful Zeus, another one? I literally had callouses from putting together an entire apartment’s worth of furniture last year. It’s not bad to put together a coffee table you bought that one weekend, but when you have beds, chairs, tables, armoires, and all those other things that most stores sell assembled to put together in one weekend, one cannot help but curse the Scandinavians for hell-spawn.

  Despina wrote @ January 4th, 2010 at 00:46

Heeej!

Äntligen =) Nu har de satt igång med att bygga Ikea i Ioannina =)
Jag undrar hur man kan söka jobb på Ikea i Ioannina, skulle jätte gärna vilja jobba där=) Hur gör man om man skulle vilja söka, någon som vet och kan hjälpa mig?

Mvh

Despina
–
Finally =) Now they have started to build Ikea in Ioannina =)
I wonder how you can apply for jobs at Ikea in Ioannina, I would really like to work there =) Do you know how I would search for this, someone who knows and can help me?

Kat Reply:
January 4th, 2010 at 00:55

This question is already answered in the article above, near the end. Assuming you are an EU citizen, just follow the first link for the Fourlis Group under “Want to work for IKEA in Greece?” They list all the open vacancies.

If you are a non-EU citizen, you need a work permit before applying for any vacancies, and in that case would follow the second link under the same heading.

  Despina wrote @ January 4th, 2010 at 10:51

Tack för hjälpen. Nu får man hoppas på att det kommer upp lediga tjänster på Ikea i ioannina. Vet du om man måste kunna flytande grekiska i tal och skrift för att få jobba där?
–
Thank you! We will hope for vacancies at Ikea in Ioannina … Do you know if you have to be fluent in Greek, or is it sufficient that we speak fluent Swedish and write simple Greek?

Note from Kat: Months ago, there were several vacancies in Ioannina. All vacancies list requirements.

Future inquiries should be directed at the Fourlis Group; I do not represent them and have already given you the tools to help yourself. Good luck.

  Yannis wrote @ August 14th, 2010 at 19:28

Foreign companies get locked out of Crete (maybe other parts of Greece) unless they do joint ventures with powerful Greek companies that can grease the xenophobic wheels (Starbucks is a 50-50 joint venture with Marinopoulos, as is the Marinopoulos-Carrefour supermarkets). The supermarkets on Crete are all a single cartel anyway and do their buying (and probably their price fixing) together. Cartels fixing prices is one reason prices are so @#%^ stupid high in stupid Greece. The average Greek is getting screwed six ways for Sunday by illegal anti competitive collusion between companies and no-one does a damn thing about it, least of all the EU.

This was the big mistake McDonalds made – they foolishly went it alone and have had 2 stores close on Crete and have never had a store in the big tourist business area of the Chania old town where they would make an absolute killing from April to October. I’d say they most likely got screwed out of permits and tv advertising, an essential part of the McDonald’s business model. It’s telling to see how long you can wait to get your order in “Goodies” (Marinopoulos’s peculiarly Greek answer to chains like McDonalds) and how fast your order arrives in a well oiled McDonalds or Burger King in a more developed country. Goodies is s-l-o-w. You’ll never see “your order filled in 10 mins or it’s free” offers in Greece, they’d go broke in a week LoL!!!

Contrary to all the whining about globalisation, foreign companies are good for Greece, whatever we may think of their products. They bring rigorous training (Greek companies don’t do training) in much-needed skills like customer service and staff go on to take those skills into Greek companies. They also bring modern management and quality practices into the country. They provide goods and services at a level of efficiency that, frankly, Greeks on their own are incapable of providing, and they provide in-demand stuff for tourists, turning over more cash in the economy. Globalization and increased competition are good for an ossified basket case economy that is riddled with corruption and price fixing like Greece. But Greeks fear competition instead of embracing it. And Greeks can’t make a decent pizza to save their lives. Oh well.

  ernie wrote @ August 23rd, 2010 at 22:15

I need to furnish a house recently built on a island. I guess IKEA doesn’t deliver, can anyone help with suggestions on how to get a house full of furniture to where I want it to go?

Kat Reply:
August 23rd, 2010 at 22:22

There’s a misunderstanding. In the article under “Delivery,” the first sentence says that delivery is possible anywhere in Greece, which IKEA contracts via private movers or metafores. The challenge is, you must pick out your furniture and other items in person, then arrange it with the delivery desk situated after checkout. Why? Because last I checked, IKEA Greece does not allow you to place orders by phone or online.

Even if you did not deal with IKEA, you could hire a mover on your own and transport furniture from any store of your choice to anywhere in Greece.

  peter wrote @ August 24th, 2010 at 14:36

Hi Kat, there is a rumour that IKEA would build a “downsized” IKEA ot the island Paros, can you believe such a thing ?

Love your website, very useful.

Peter, Parikia Paros

Kat Reply:
August 25th, 2010 at 00:40

Hi Peter,

There are two reasons I believe this is purely rumor.

First, Fourlis detailed its plan for the locations of new stores and the order in which they would open; I listed them the same way above in my article. Paros isn’t on the list and the Ioannina store is 10 months behind schedule. Second, they just posted H1 results that detail a 2.1-million loss (Reuters). This combined with the limited market on Paros and cost of doing business (real estate, construction, transport, storage, employees), it doesn’t make good financial sense.

Rumors about a Crete store have been circulating for 3 years. Is there a store there? Nope.

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