Ikea Opening Charlotte Early

December 8, 2008  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Store Openings on December 9, 2008

With construction running ahead of schedule, Ikea will open a new store in Charlotte, N.C., on Feb. 18. It will be the Swedish company's first store in the Carolinas and among 280 worldwide.

The 356,000-square-foot store will have 49 room settings, three model home interiors, a children's play area and a 350-seat restaurant. "We made excellent progress on construction in the summer and fall, so we are thrilled, yet confident, (that) the remaining construction milestones and interior build-up process will be complete by February—much earlier than originally envisioned," said Store Manager Richard Castanon. "Now, our primary goal is hiring and training the nearly 400 local hires joining the Ikea family before we open."

The store, with 1,600 parking spaces, sits on 25 acres in the University City area off Interstate 85. Company officials had previously said it would open in the spring of 2009. Charlotte will be Ikea's 36th store in the U.S., and other new stores are underway in Centennial, Colo.; Somerville, Mass.; and Tampa, Fla.