IKEA Announces Plans to Open a Columbus Store in Summer 2017 as Swedish Retailer Continues to Expand in U.S. and Midwest
28 January 2015 - 3:30AM
Business Wire
IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings retailer, today
announced it is submitting plans to the City of Columbus, Ohio for
a store that would increase the Swedish retailer’s presence in the
Midwestern United States as its second store in the state. The
application marks the beginning of the governmental approval
process. Until the store opens in Summer 2017, customers can shop
at the closest IKEA stores in: West Chester, OH; Pittsburgh, PA;
and Canton, MI; or online at IKEA-USA.com.
IKEA, the world’s leading home
furnishings retailer, today announced it is submitting plans to the
City of Columbus, Ohio for a store that would increase the Swedish
retailer’s presence in the Midwestern United States as its second
store in the state. (Photo: Business Wire)
Located in the Polaris Centers of Commerce development,
approximately 15 miles north of downtown Columbus, the
354,000-square-foot proposed IKEA store and its 1,200 parking
spaces would be built on 33 acres at the northeastern corner of
Interstate-71 and Gemini Place. Store plans reflect the same unique
architectural design for which IKEA stores are known worldwide.
IKEA also will evaluate potential on-site power generation to
complement its current U.S. renewable energy presence at nearly 90%
of its U.S. locations.
“We look forward to continue growing our Midwestern U.S.
presence with IKEA Columbus,” said IKEA U.S. CEO Rob Olson. “This
location in such a vibrant retail corridor would provide our
already 155,000 Columbus customers their own store and introduce
the unique IKEA shopping experience to other consumers throughout
Central Ohio and beyond.”
IKEA Columbus would feature nearly 10,000 exclusively designed
items, 50 inspirational room-settings, three model home interiors,
a supervised children’s play area, and a 450-seat restaurant
serving Swedish specialties such as meatballs with lingonberries
and salmon plates, as well as American dishes. Other
family-friendly features include a ‘Children’s IKEA’ area in the
Showroom, baby care rooms, play areas throughout the store, and
preferred parking. In addition to the more than 500 jobs that are
expected to be created during the construction phase, approximately
300 coworkers would join the IKEA family when the new store opens.
IKEA Columbus also would provide significant annual sales and
property tax revenue for local governments and schools.
IKEA, drawing from its Swedish heritage and respect of nature,
believes it can be a good business while doing good business and
aims to minimize impacts on the environment. IKEA evaluates
locations regularly for conservation opportunities, integrates
innovative materials into product design, works to maintain
sustainable resources, and flat-packs goods for efficient
distribution. U.S. sustainable efforts include: recycling waste
material; incorporating key measures into buildings with
energy-efficient HVAC and lighting systems, recycled construction
materials, warehouse skylights, and water-conserving restrooms; and
operationally, eliminating plastic bags from the check-out process,
phasing-out the sale of incandescent light bulbs, facilitating
recycling compact fluorescent bulbs, and by 2016 selling only LED
bulbs. IKEA U.S. has electric vehicle charging stations at 13
stores, solar arrays atop 90% of its locations, and plans for 104
wind turbines.
Since its 1943 founding in Sweden, IKEA has offered home
furnishings of good design and function at low prices so the
majority of people can afford them. There are currently more than
360 IKEA stores in 47 countries, including 40 in the U.S. IKEA has
been ranked in FORTUNE’s annual “100 Best Companies to Work For”
list, Working Mother magazine’s annual list of “100 Best Companies
for Working Mothers” and Training magazine’s annual “Top 100.” IKEA
incorporates sustainability into day-to-day business and supports
initiatives that benefit children and the environment. For more
information see IKEA-USA.com, @IKEAUSA, @IKEAUSANews, or IKEAUSA on
Facebook, Youtube, Instagram and Pinterest.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available:
http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20150127005886/en/
IKEAJoseph Roth, 610-834-0180, x 6500Expansion Public
Affairs