Swedish Retailer IKEA Shifts U.S. Expansion Into Full Throttle By Rolling Out Plans For Metro Detroit Store In Canton, MI

Furniture World Magazine

IKEA, a leading home furnishings retailer, announced plans for a store in Canton, MI, increasing its growing presence in the Upper Midwest. The new store just outside Detroit will join stores in Schaumburg, IL, which opened in November 1998, and in Bloomington, MN, which opened in July 2004. The company last month also broke ground on a second Chicago-area store in Bolingbrook, IL that will open in Fall 2005. Pending approval and permits, construction of the proposed IKEA Canton could start in Spring 2005, with an anticipated opening date of Summer 2006. The 21-acre site in Canton Township is a former Super K-mart store, which would be demolished to allow for a 306,000 square foot IKEA store and restaurant destination. Easily accessible from the Ford Road exit of I-275, and with more than 1,100 parking spaces, the store would reflect the same unique architectural design for which IKEA stores are known worldwide. IKEA also intends to purchase a 10-acre parcel between Haggerty Road and I-275 that will remain undeveloped as wetlands reclamation. “We are thrilled about entering Metro Detroit at this site in Canton. From looking at license plates in the parking lot at our store in Schaumburg, IL, we know there are already IKEA customers in Michigan who would visit us more frequently if there was a store closer to them,” said Pat Smith, IKEA real estate director. “We have been looking quite a while for the right location and now we have found it. We are confident that IKEA Canton will allow us to be more convenient to existing customers while also introducing the unique IKEA family-friendly shopping experience to new customers throughout Michigan.” Besides nearly 10,000 exclusively designed items, IKEA Canton will feature four model homes, 60 room settings, a supervised children's play area, as well as a 300-seat restaurant serving Swedish specialties such as meatballs with lingonberries and salmon platters. Other family-friendly features include a 'Children's IKEA' area in the showroom, baby care rooms, preferred parking and play areas throughout the store. Besides jobs created during the construction phase, approximately 300 coworkers would join the IKEA family when the new store opens. IKEA Canton would provide significant annual sales tax and property tax revenue for local governments and schools, as well as contribute more than $1 million in infrastructure improvements. “We also look forward to being a partner in the local community too,” continued Smith. IKEA currently has more than 200 stores in 32 countries, including 21 in the United States. For its U.S. expansion, the company is aiming to open approximately five new stores a year. Other U.S. stores being planned include: Atlanta, GA; Bolingbrook, IL; Brooklyn, NY; Dublin, CA; Frisco, TX; Somerville, MA; Stoughton, MA; West Sacramento, CA; and Tempe, AZ. Since its founding in 1943, IKEA has offered a wide range of home furnishings and accessories of good design and function, at low prices so the majority of the people can afford them. Recently, IKEA was named - for the second consecutive year - to Working Mother magazine's annual list of the “100 Best Companies for Working Mothers” because of its family-friendly programs for coworkers. IKEA is recognized as a socially responsible company, and continuously supports initiatives that benefit causes such as children and the environment. To visit the IKEA Web site, please go to http://www.ikea-usa.com. For information about working at IKEA, please visit http://JobsAt.IKEA-usa.com.