Ikea planning second Chicago store for '05
By Clint Engel -- Furniture Today, July 11, 2004
Chicago — Swedish home furnishings giant Ikea will open a second metro Chicago store next year, taking some pressure off its Schaumburg unit as it continues its expansion into new and existing markets.
The Top 100 company plans a two-level, 310,00-square-foot store in Bolingbrook, about 35 miles south of Schaumburg, on a 21-acre site bordering the Interstate 355 North-South Tollway, Boughton Road and Janes Avenue. Work could begin this fall with the opening tentatively planned for fall 2005.
When Ikea opened the 400,000-square-foot Schaumburg store in 1998, its first in Chicagoland, the three-level, octagonal showroom was among its largest worldwide and the first with in-store model home displays targeting specific demographic groups — now a regular feature in its stores.
Joseph Roth, director of expansion public affairs for Ikea North America, said the retailer has been assessing sites for a second Chicago store for about five years. Ikea wouldn't disclose the costs of the project or projected store sales.
The Bolingbrook store will feature nearly 10,000 items, five model homes, 50 room settings, a supervised play area and a 300-seat restaurant. The store will be part of a planned retail center and will have 1,300 parking spaces.
Ikea's aggressive expansion strategy calls for five new stores a year over 10 years, in existing and new markets, with a smaller and modified prototype design. New markets include Atlanta; Frisco, Texas; New Haven, Conn.; metro Boston; Tempe, Ariz.; and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The first metro Minneapolis store will open this month, its 19th U.S. store and second in the Midwest.
In addition to Chicago, existing markets targeted for expansion include New Jersey, Philadelphia and San Francisco.
Ranked No. 6 on Furniture/Today's survey of Top 100 furniture stores, Ikea's 18 U.S. stores had an estimated $950 million in furniture, bedding and accessory sales in the year ended Aug. 31.
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