An IKEA alternative is moving closer to home as JYSK plans 100 new Spain stores

Flat-pack furniture shopping in Spain may soon require a shorter drive and another Scandinavian name to compare. Danish retailer JYSK plans between 80 and 100 new Spanish stores by 2030, with more in Portugal, as a €60 million expansion brings more choice, local jobs and a little pressure for IKEA.

Spain’s furniture hunt is about to gain another blue-and-yellow stop

Furnishing a home in many countries in Europe usually involves an old tape measure, a few arguments about the car boot size and a long drive to an IKEA at a retail park. However, over the next four years, that final part could look a bit different in Spain.

JYSK, the Danish home furnishings retailer, plans to open 120 new stores across Spain and Portugal, investing an estimated €60 million and averaging around 30 openings a year. Spain will receive the largest share, with between 80 and 100 stores planned, and in Portugal, JYSK intends to expand its existing network by approximately 50 per cent.

The chain already has almost 230 Iberian stores, meaning the new programme could increase its physical presence by more than half. JYSK first entered Spain in 2009 and Portugal in 2016.

Why JYSK and IKEA are both shrinking the furniture expedition

JYSK sells most of the items you’d expect: beds, mattresses, furniture, textiles, home accessories and garden products. The difference here is that its planned locations will not be restricted to major cities. The company says its format can work in retail parks, shopping centres, high streets, medium-sized towns and smaller municipalities.

That could appeal particularly to residents away from Spain’s biggest urban centres, newcomers furnishing an apartment and anyone trying to sort out a spare room without having to make the trip into an all-day expedition.

The expansion comes shortly after IKEA announced its own plan to invest €50 million in 15 compact stores across Spain. These stores will measure between 2,000 and 4,000 square metres and are expected to open in retail parks outside cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants. IKEA estimates that its programme will create 515 jobs.

Both retailers are therefore trying to accommodate customers who would prefer not to travel to a giant destination store (however delightful the meatball and mash break is). 

Does the larger furniture store choice guarantee a price war?

Just because there’s another large retailer nearby doesn’t suddenly mean that the furniture is going to see a drop in price. Neither company has promised reductions.

However, more overlapping stores should make it easier for households to compare ranges, promotions and delivery options before committing to large purchases. JYSK combines physical shops with online ordering, home delivery and store collection, while IKEA’s compact format will carry around 2,000 products for immediate purchase alongside planning and ordering services.

The arrival of dozens more JYSK outlets will also increase pressure on Spanish chains and independent muebles (furniture) shops. Smaller businesses are already struggling to match international retailer’s advertising and purchasing scale, although many retain advantages on the Spanish high streets such as personal service, made-to-measure furniture, local delivery and assembly.

New store locations will not just benefit shoppers

JYSK expects each new shop to employ around 10 people, creating approximately 1,200 direct jobs across the Iberian Peninsula during the four-year expansion.

A complete list of towns and opening dates has not yet been released. JYSK says its flexible model allows it to consider locations of different sizes, so future openings may not follow the usual Madrid, Barcelona and provincial-capital pattern.

Local retail parks, the company’s store finder and its Spanish and Portuguese recruitment pages will provide the first updates. By 2030, your next living room re-dec could be just minutes away rather than an hours drive to the outskirts of town. Although regular “I think it’s that screw. No it’s definitely that one. Maybe try it upside down” discussions are not set to disappear.