Ikea Sets Third Florida Store

March 26, 2007  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in on March 2007 As Ikea moves toward opening two stores in Florida this fall, the company announced plans for a third Florida store—in Tampa—that could open in the summer of 2009. The Swedish retailer, which now has 29 stores in the United States, said construction of the Tampa store could start as early as spring 2008, depending on city approvals and the pace of infrastructure improvements.

Combined with new stores that will open in Orlando and in the Broward County town of Sunrise this fall, the proposed Tampa location is part of a major Ikea expansion in the Southeast that began two years ago with the opening of a location in Atlanta. The company also is slated to open a store in Charlotte, N.C., in the spring of 2009.

“We are thrilled to be submitting plans for an IKEA store at this site in Tampa where we can build upon our southeastern presence established in Atlanta, and build upon the success of our two Florida stores set to open this fall,” said David Iemolo, IKEA director of real estate. “We know IKEA Tampa would be more convenient to existing customers while also introducing the unique IKEA family-friendly shopping experience to new Tampa Bay and Sun Coast shoppers.”

With a U.S. headquarters in Conshohocken, Pa., Ikea has been opening about five stores a year. Other store locations in the planning or construction stages include Brooklyn, N.Y., the Salt Lake City area, Portland, Ore., and Somerville, Mass.