Digital Signage & 85p Hotdogs – Two Things Ikea’s London Store Does Right 

June 2, 2025 by guest author, Antonia Hamberger

Much has been said about how screen-heavy Ikea’s new City Store on Oxford Street is – but even so, I was surprised by the sheer variety of digital signage formats used throughout the space. This isn’t just a case of throwing screens on walls; it’s a thoughtful, content-first approach.

Ikea on London’s Oxford Street (Image: invidis)

From the moment you step inside the street-level entrance – a compact area designed primarily to guide shoppers down the elevator stairs to the main retail floors underground – you’re pretty much immersed in visual storytelling. This entry point is the most screen-dense part of the store and sets the tone for what to expect downstairs. What’s impressive is that each digital surface has a distinct purpose. No two screens show the same content. It’s clear that whoever led the signage concept (reportedly two solution providers from the UK and Nordics, according to this post by Dave Haynes) prioritized content strategy over tech for tech’s sake.

There are three mini areas designed like shop-in-shop sections, each spotlighting a different Ikea designer. Small portrait screens tell each designer’s story, giving context to their collections. A nearby interactive kiosk lets visitors explore the store’s assortment, while a dynamic video wall made up of three different LCD formats runs current promotions. The shop-windows are completely filled with semi-transparent Mesh-LEDs, also running promotion films.

Once you descend into the main retail area, one of the standout features is an interactive zone tucked into a corner just behind the stairwell. Here, a three-sided fine-pitch LED display hosts live formats. When I visited, the team was prepping the space for a live music session scheduled for that evening. What’s clever is that the LED display stretches vertically along the stairwell, effectively teasing upcoming events to shoppers entering from street level.

Besides those live formats, Ikea’s Oxford Street store has one more tried-and-true incentive that also works for non-digital signage enthusiasts: 85p hotdogs and other low-cost food & beverage offerings in the deli area, alluring anyone who’s tired of London’s inner-city prizes or craving a serving of Ikea’s beloved Swedish meatballs.