Ikea opens New Zealand warehouse at Māngere

Ikea will store goods at the new warehouse in Māngere before distribution via its new Mt Wellington store. Photo / Ikea

Swedish retailer Ikea New Zealand today opened its external warehouse at The Landing Business Park, Māngere, the company’s fulfilment manager Adrian Pidgeon has announced.

The 20,000sq m building, built and owned by Auckland Airport, is for the retailer’s products to be stored locally for national distribution via the new Sylvia Park store, due to open in next year’s final quarter.

“Completion of the first Ikea New Zealand external warehouse marks a pivotal milestone in our market entry and has been the result of significant collaboration between Ikea, our construction partner Colliers and the Auckland Airport team,” Pidgeon said.

Many parts of the business were now working together, he said.

New Zealanders will be able to buy products from the day the first store beside Sylvia Park opens.

Shipments are expected to arrive at the warehouse in May next year, Pidgeon said.

The building can take about 8000 to 10,000 cubic metres of inventory annually.

Many 40ft shipping containers will be moved daily from the warehouse to the Sylvia Park store, where they will be sold and dispatched through the country, Pidgeon said.

The first test shipment was conducted last month to plan for accurate forecasted lead times and to test that products comply with New Zealand standards.

The various products contained in the shipment will be assembled for use across the warehouse office.

The vast new 20,000sq m Ikea warehouse at Māngere was opened on Tuesday, December 17, 2024. Photo / Ikea

Daniel Byrne, Auckland Airport property development head, said the airport was looking forward to continuing to support Ikea’s operation as they establish here.

Pidgeon said Ikea goods would be shipped from Malaysia and China mainly but products would come from other parts of the world too.

Around 25% of the exterior blue cladding was on the new warehouse at Sylvia Park a week ago.

Naylor Love is building the store beside the railway line.

Last month, the Herald reported Ikea was planning to recruit around 400 Auckland staff.

Fabian Winterbine, Ikea group’s Sydney-based expansion manager, is heading operations to open the store and said many roles would be advertised from the start of 2025.

Staff were needed for the showrooms, restaurant, in interior design, visual merchandising, display, management and the warehouse so Ikea can open later next year on Clemow Dr, Mt Wellington, beside Sylvia Park.

The new store as it looked at Mt Wellington in early December 2024 when around a quarter of the exterior had the distinctive colour on. Photo / Ikea

Staff will also be needed for Ikea’s new warehouse at The Landing on Auckland Airport land at Māngere, Winterbine said.

Up to 20 staff already work for Ikea in this country.

In January, the retailer would seek some fulfilment or warehouse staff. The new warehouse will be handed to Ikea in December so then it will start fitting that out early next year and start receiving shipments.

Recruitment of other staff is expected to start around April.

Anne Gibson has been the Herald’s property editor for 24 years, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.