The world’s largest IKEA store, and the first of its kind in the Philippines, has opened to the public on November 25, just before merrymakers do their Christmas shopping.

The sprawling store with an area of 65,000 square metres made its debut in Pasay City in Manila, the Philippines’ economic centre. Spanning five floors inside a mall complex near Manila Bay, the branch will feature some 8,000 products in its show halls. Shoppers can also buy Swedish food products like ice cream, hotdogs, and IKEA’s famous meatballs.

The store’s opening was scheduled for 2020, but was delayed due to the pandemic.

Georg Platzer, IKEA Philippines store manager, said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony: ‘It has been a challenging couple of years, but we are proud that even through a pandemic, we are now ready to build a better everyday life with the many people in the Philippines.’

Only a limited number of people are allowed in the store per day because of Covid-19 pandemic restrictions. Customers must book their slot online before visiting the physical location in Pasay City.