IKEA Home Furnishings Opens Its Largest Store In North America -- Offering Chicagoans Everything For Their Homes Under One Giant Roof

Furniture World Magazine

The "City of Big Shoulders" will get a little bigger this November as IKEA, the world's leading home furnishings company, opens its 400,000 square foot store. Touted as the Swedish furniture giant's largest retail facility beyond Scandinavia, IKEA Chicago will provide area residents with a one-stop shopping destination for all of their home furnishings needs. IKEA's newest store, located in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, is celebrating its grand opening on November 18, 1998. Octagonal in shape, the store features three levels, all showcasing the tremendous selection, great prices, customer-friendly atmosphere and quality furnishings that have become IKEA's trademark. Some store highlights include: three full model homes, 40 living rooms and 20 bedroom settings for customers to browse through, a 350 seat restaurant, and a "Ballroom" where children can safely play under supervision. "At IKEA, our mission is to create a better everyday life for the majority of people," said Jan Kjellman, President of IKEA North America. "The way we do this is by providing quality home furnishings at prices the majority of people can afford. And, no where are we better suited to doing this than in our new Chicago store. Quite simply, it has everything for the home under one really big roof." The second and third floors at IKEA Chicago integrate the Showroom and Marketplace so IKEA customers can view more than 100 complete room settings, including living rooms, dining rooms, children's rooms, kitchens and home offices, to name a few. Customers can simultaneously view thousands of accessory and decorative item choices such as lighting, cookware, table top, linens and area rugs. The store's lower level houses the cafe, customer service and IKEA's Self-Serve Warehouse, where customers can collect the items they have selected. "Our company prides itself on offering high-quality furnishings for every life stage," said Kjellman. "That means that within the Chicago store, there will be home furnishings for everyone -- whether just starting out, starting a family, or starting over after kids have gone to college." In addition to home furnishings, IKEA Chicago includes a variety of elements aimed at enhancing the shopping experience. The store features several eating options, including the 350 seat restaurant and a Swedish Food Market, offering traditional foods and other items from IKEA's homeland. For families, IKEA Chicago will offer the children's "Ballroom," in addition to complimentary strollers, bottle warming and a Baby Care room. And, to make moving around the vast store as easy as possible, IKEA Chicago provides numerous escalators in lieu of stairs. "More than just a store, IKEA Chicago has been designed as a destination -with its tremendous size and innovative architecture, the new store is a place where people can spend hours having fun and shopping," said Kjellman. "There's a lot more than just furniture here -- IKEA works to inspire and provide decorating ideas to customers with beautiful room displays that make an attractive and enjoyable home possible." Flat packing and a partnership with customers are just two of the elements which enable IKEA to deliver on its mission. Because items such as tables and bookcases are packaged in flat boxes --shipping costs, storage space and damage to goods is greatly reduced. This, combined with customers' willingness to complete simple assembly steps at home, enables IKEA to provide substantial savings on top-notch furnishings. IKEA Home Furnishings has 147 stores worldwide and 13 in the United States (including IKEA Chicago). IKEA Chicago is located at 1800 East McConnor Parkway, Schaumburg, Illinois, 60173.