Swedish furniture giant IKEA is expanding in the Philippines with the opening of its first physical store outside Metro Manila, Sunstar reports.
The new store, IKEA Mandaue City, will open at Ayala Malls Gatewalk Central in Cebu on December 16, 2026.
It will also be one of the first IKEA stores globally to use the company’s new compact-store format.
According to IKEA Philippines Country Retail Manager Ricardo Pinheiro, Cebu was chosen because of strong customer demand and the city’s long-standing reputation as the country’s furniture capital.
“We know Mandaue City is the capital of home furnishing. That shows there is an interest in home furnishing, a passion for home furnishing, and a competence in home furnishing,” Pinheiro said.
He added that Cebu has become IKEA’s strongest market outside Metro Manila through its online platform.
“When we look at our digital store, we know the biggest potential we have today outside Metro Manila is Cebu and Mandaue City,” Pinheiro said.
The 4,000-square-meter store is expected to create around 100 jobs and will offer access to IKEA’s full range of approximately 8,500 products through in-store ordering services.
