Ikea Sets Portland Opening

May 29, 2007  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Furniture Retailing on May 2007 Ikea’s 31st store in the United States will open next month in Portland, Ore., the company announced Wednesday. The 280,000-square-foot store is Ikea’s second location in the Northwest, including a store in Renton, Wash.

“Due to the progress made during the snowy and rainy winter, and the diligent work this spring, we are confident the remaining construction milestones and interior build-up process will be complete by late July,” said Ken Bodeen, the Portland location’s store manager. “Now, our primary objective is to continue hiring and training the nearly 400 local hires who will be joining the Ikea coworker family before we open.”

The store will feature 50 different room settings, three complete model homes, a supervised children’s play area and a 250-seat restaurant serving Swedish specialties such as meatballs with lingonberries. Located in a pedestrian-friendly area near the Portland International airport, the 19-acre site has 1,200 parking spaces, 75 bicycle racks and is served by a light rail station. The store adds to the 250 Ikea stores the company operates in 35 countries. Additional stores are being planned for three sites in Florida as well as Brooklyn, N.Y.; Charlotte, N.C.; Somerville, Mass.; and West Chester, Ohio.