IKEA Birmingham in Wednesbury

I visited IKEA in Wednesbury on Friday 2 October 2020 and saw the excellent work IKEA have done to implement Covid-secure measures and facilitate the safe return of customers. The store closed in March owing to the pandemic but have reopened since 1 June 2020 with social distancing measures in place. IKEA has been open in Wednesbury since 1991 and currently employs 511 members of staff from the local area. 

I spoke to Store Manager Patricio Aleman and Marsha Smith, Area Manager for the Midlands IKEA about the community work that the company do. When we walked around, shields were up at the computer points, only one person at a time was allowed into the room settings and customers were following all the social distancing measures. I asked staff what the experience of working during the pandemic has been like and they said that everyone was following social distancing and that some customers were actually encouraging others to wear masks. There are a total of 113 Sanitising stations across the store and a one-way system operating throughout. 

I also tried the PlantBall, IKEA’s new vegan alternative which has a climate footprint of only 4% of the classic IKEA meatball. This will formally launch early next year, as the company undertake a wider campaign on climate change in the run up to COP26. Companies like IKEA need support from the Government and local authorities to take climate action and live sustainable and healthy lives.