Daily News
From Home Furnishing Business
Ikea Sets Dec. 14 Grand Opening for Memphis Store
November 11,
2016 by Larry Thomas in Industry, Store Openings 
Swedish retailer Ikea announced that its newest U.S. store in Memphis, Tenn., will open at 9 a.m. on Dec. 14.
It will be the company’s first store in Tennessee and 43rd in the United States. The closest Ikea stores are in Atlanta and St. Louis, and the newest store will expand the retailer’s presence in the Southeast.
As part of its grand opening promotions, the company will allow customers to begin lining up at the store 48 hours prior to the opening. Ikea typically awards merchandise, gift cards and other prizes to early shoppers to create excitement for a new store.
Details of the grand opening promotions and plans are available at www.Ikea-USA.com/Memphis.
“We are thrilled by the excellent construction progress made to date, and believe we can complete the remaining milestones and interior build-up by mid-December,” said Store Manager Trisha Bevering. “Besides furnishing our store, we also are focused on continuing recruitment and training of all the coworkers joining the Ikea family. “We look forward to introducing Mid-South customers to a whole new way of shopping for the home.”
The 271,000 square-foot store has approximately 800 parking spaces and is being built on 35 acres in the Wolfchase Corridor along the southwestern side of Interstate 40 near the Germantown Parkway exit. The retailer said the store will reflect the unique architectural design for which IKEA is known worldwide, and will include Tennessee’s largest rooftop solar array, consistent with the solar presence at 90% of Ikea’s U.S. locations.
The Memphis store will feature nearly 10,000 exclusively designed items, 50 inspirational room-settings, three model home interiors, a supervised children’s play area, and a 250-seat restaurant serving Swedish specialties such as meatballs with lingonberries and salmon plates, as well as American dishes and more sustainable options.
Other family-friendly features include a ‘Children’s Ikea’ area in the Showroom, baby care rooms, play areas throughout the store and preferred parking.
The store will have approximately 225 employees.