IKEA Malaysia has confirmed it will open a store in Kuching in December 2026 — the first physical IKEA anywhere in East Malaysia. The announcement, made in late August, ends years of Sarawak being served solely by the online store and Collection Point that launched in February 2025.
The Kuching outlet will be IKEA’s first small-format store in Malaysia. Unlike the warehouse-scale branches in KL, Johor and Penang, this one is built around a compact layout where shoppers can browse room settings and take select products home the same day. Everything else in the catalogue stays available to order online, so the store acts as a showroom and pickup point rather than a full-size warehouse.
IKEA says the store’s design draws on home visits it conducted in Kuching, noting that local homes tend to centre on family, togetherness and hospitality, with living and dining spaces pulling double duty for gatherings. Storage and organisation came up as common pain points across both landed houses and high-rises — so expect the displays to lean into those.
The company is already hiring locally ahead of the opening. On 1 September, IKEA Malaysia also announced a new country retail director, Takeshi Murai, who takes over from Malcolm Pruys; the Kuching store will be one of his first milestones in the role.
No exact opening date or location within Kuching has been announced yet. We’ll update this post when either is confirmed. In the meantime, the existing Collection Point on Jalan Demak Laut 3 continues to operate as usual.
Last updated: September 2026.