BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings retailer, today opened the doors of its new Burbank, California store to customers at 9 a.m. PST. The 456,000 square-foot New IKEA Burbank is located on 22 acres west of San Fernando Boulevard and south of Providencia Avenue – less than one mile from the company’s oldest store in the Western United States. (The original IKEA Burbank store – which opened in 1990 at 242,000 SF – closed its doors permanently on Saturday night, February 4, 2017.)
The New IKEA Burbank store employs approximately 575 coworkers (including 150 new hires) and features 10,000 exclusively-designed items, a 600-seat IKEA Restaurant, 50 inspirational room settings, three model home interiors, a supervised children’s play area and approximately 1,700 parking spaces with six electric vehicle charging stations. Also, the store – in addition to selling only LED lighting – has incorporated only LED fixtures for use inside and outside the building.
“We are excited about building upon our established Burbank presence with a new, roomier store so close to the original one, and in the same city,” said Jeff O’Shaughnessy, store manager. “The enthusiasm of coworkers about offering customers an updated, spacious and enhanced IKEA shopping experience is translating into excitement and a great shopping event for our customers.”
Before the doors opened, O’Shaughnessy welcomed the community with a traditional Swedish log-sawing ceremony, bringing good luck to the new store and its guests. In addition to brief remarks by Burbank Mayor Jess Talamantes, O’Shaughnessy was joined by IKEA Burbank’s four current coworkers who have been at IKEA since the original store opened 26 years ago raising the U.S. and California flags, and Honorary Swedish Consul General for California Barbro Osher raising the Swedish flag. They were escorted by IKEA coworker and Petty Officer Third Class Flores. Individual store coworkers sang the American National anthem and “America the Beautiful,” and local representatives from the Swedish Women’s Educational Association sang the Swedish National anthem to accompany the flag-raisings. In honor of today’s opening, the new IKEA Burbank will recognize loyal, enthusiastic customers by giving away thousands of dollars in gift cards and merchandise.
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
- Rest Assured – The first 26 adults (18 & older) in the New IKEA Burbank on February 8, 2017 are receiving a free LANDSKRONA sofa, in honor of the 26-year IKEA presence in Burbank.
- Take a Seat (And We Mean Take It!) – The next 100 adults (18 & older) in the New IKEA Burbank on February 8, 2017 are receiving a free POÄNG armchair.
- For the (Truly) Young at Heart – The first 100 children (17 & younger) in the New IKEA Burbank on February 8, 2017 are receiving a free FAMNIG heart-shaped soft toy.
- Pick a Card, Any Card – The first 2,500 adults (18 & older) in the New IKEA Burbank on February 8, 2017 are receiving a random prize envelope with Gift Cards ranging from $10 to $250, or a “Buy One, Get One Free” cinnamon bun, hotdog or soft-serve frozen yogurt voucher.
- Happy Birthday to You and Us – The first 100 adults (18 & older) bringing proof to the New IKEA Burbank on February 8, 2017 their birthday is the same as the store’s are receiving a gift card for $52, reflecting twice the length of time since IKEA Burbank opened 26 years ago.
- Enter our Home, Enter to Win – From February 8 through February 12, 2017, visitors to the New IKEA Burbank may enter a drawing to win one of ten $1,000 IKEA Gift Cards through the IKEA FAMILY loyalty program. IKEA is matching the prizes (a total of $10,000) with a donation of home furnishings to Family Service Agency of Burbank, a local organization that treats the mental and emotional well-being of children, adults and families suffering silently.
In addition to this contribution reflecting the new store’s aim of providing home furnishings to people in need, IKEA also is donating furnishings for the bedrooms, dining rooms and living rooms to 18 shelters/transitional homes in the area with products remaining from the original store.
In the meantime, though, the New IKEA Burbank will welcome loyal, enthusiastic customers in the brand new building.
ADDITIONAL OFFERS AT THE NEW IKEA BURBANK
The New IKEA Burbank is a fun day out for the family with:
- Småland, a supervised children’s play area (for children 37”-54” in height) that replicates the look of a typical Swedish farmhouse and forest;
- Additional play areas throughout the store, offering activities for kids shopping with parents;
- A “Children’s IKEA” area in the Showroom that also offers fun, interactive play; and
- Attention-to-detail amenities such as family-friendly parking, strollers and baby care rooms.
No shopping on an empty stomach at the New IKEA Burbank because:
- The IKEA Restaurant opens 30 minutes earlier than the store for a full hot breakfast, including scrambled eggs, potatoes and turkey sausage for only $1.00.
- The 600-seat restaurant also offers a diverse menu featuring lunch, dinner, snacks and dessert, including Swedish specialties such as the popular IKEA Swedish meatballs (as well as chicken or veggie versions), seafood plates, pasta, chicken, salads, sandwiches, and vegetarian dishes too.
- Menu choices for kids include a child’s portion of Swedish meatballs, chicken fingers or macaroni and cheese, while baby food and bibs are available for even younger visitors.
- The Swedish Food Market offers Swedish delicacies, snacks and treats, and frozen Swedish meatballs (the same ones available in the Restaurant) to purchase and then prepare at home.
- The Exit Bistro serves hot dogs, pizza, cinnamon buns, frozen yogurt, sundaes and beverages.
The New IKEA Burbank shopping conveniences include:
- Free design appointments with a furnishings consultant;
- IKEA catalogs, measuring tape, pencils, store maps, yellow shopping bags and 3 types of carts;
- Same-day shopping satisfaction with products in easy-to-transport flat-pack boxes that benefit the customer and the environment;
- 30 checkout lanes to ensure efficient customer purchasing;
- Warehouse picking, home-delivery, assembly, and kitchen planning and installation services; and
- 2017 IKEA Catalogs, focused on how food-related activities help bring people together through everyday life in and around the kitchen.
There are 392 IKEA stores in 48 countries, including 43 in the U.S. 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. IKEA has been included in rankings of “Best Companies to Work For” and, as further investment in its coworkers, has raised its own minimum wage twice in two years. 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.
