IKEA Adds Charlotte, N.C. List of New Sites

January 17, 2007  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on January 2007 IKEA is moving into North Carolina with a Charlotte store scheduled for opening in the spring of 2009.

The store will bridge the gap between the company’s locations in Woodbridge, Va., and Atlanta. Additional stores are set to open this year in Sunrise, Fla., and in Orlando.

Pending city approvals and infrastructure improvements, construction of the IKEA Charlotte store could begin as early as next summer.

The 345,000 square-foot IKEA Charlotte, with 1,700 parking spaces, will be built on 25 acres at the northeastern corner of Interstate 85 and the City Boulevard exit, and will reflect the same unique architectural design for which IKEA stores are known worldwide. In addition, IKEA will be selling about three acres that will be available for complementary retail and restaurant uses, and Crescent Resources, the seller of the property, will develop the surrounding 135 acres, after the store opens.

“We are thrilled to be locating an IKEA store at this site in Charlotte where we can complement our Southeastern presence established in Atlanta, and the stores underway in Florida,” said Doug Greenholz, IKEA real estate manager. “We know IKEA Charlotte will be more convenient to existing customers while also introducing the unique IKEA family-friendly shopping experience to new shoppers throughout the Carolinas.”

In addition to offering nearly 10,000 exclusively designed items, IKEA Charlotte will feature three model homes, 50 room settings, a supervised children’s play area, and its trademark restaurant serving Swedish specialties, along with American cuisine. Other family-friendly features will include a ‘Children’s IKEA’ area in the showroom, baby care rooms, preferred parking and play areas throughout the store.

In addition to jobs created during the construction phase, approximately 400 coworkers will join the IKEA family when the new store opens.

“We also look forward to being a partner in the local community,” continued Greenholz.

IKEA has more than 250 stores in 34 countries, including 29 in the U.S. Other planned store locations include Brooklyn, N.Y.; Draper, Utah; Portland, Ore.; Somerville, Mass.; and Westchester, Ohio.