IKEA Columbus Opens in the Midwest, with Jobs, Sustainability, Swedish Furnishings, Design Inspirations, Meatballs, and More

First customers Felicia Andes and Kenneth Heyward are greeted by IKEA Columbus coworkers in celebration of the store’s grand opening this morning. (Photo: Business Wire)

COLUMBUS, Ohio--()--IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings retailer, today opened the doors of its Columbus store to customers at 9 a.m. EDT. The 354,000 square-foot IKEA Columbus is located on 33 acres at the northeastern corner of Interstate-71 and Gemini Place in the Polaris Centers of Commerce. It is the Swedish company’s second store and restaurant destination in Ohio, 44th in the United States, and 397th worldwide. (A Cincinnati-area store opened in West Chester, Ohio in 2008.) IKEA Columbus employs approximately 325 coworkers and features 10,000 exclusively-designed items, a 450-seat IKEA Restaurant, 41 inspirational room settings, three model home interiors, a supervised children’s play area and approximately 1,100 parking spaces with three electric vehicle charging stations. Reflecting the company’s renewable energy presence at 90% of its U.S. locations, IKEA installed one of Ohio’s largest rooftop solar arrays atop IKEA Columbus.

“We are excited to bring the unique IKEA family-friendly shopping experience and affordable home furnishings of good design to Columbus and Central Ohio,” said David Garcia, store manager. “The enthusiasm of coworkers about this big day and the warm reception from the community are translating into excitement and a great shopping event for our customers.”

Before the doors opened, Garcia 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 Ohio Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor, Columbus City Council President Pro Tem Priscilla Tyson, Deputy Chief of Mission for the Swedish Embassy Göran Lithell, and IKEA U.S. president Lars Petersson, Garcia was joined by Delaware County Commission President Jeff Benton who raised the U.S. flag, Designated Swedish Consul for Ohio Malou Monago who raised the Swedish flag, and Westerville Mayor Kathy Cocuzzi who raised the Ohio flag. Individual store coworkers sang the respective American and Swedish national anthems and “America the Beautiful” to accompany the flag-raisings.

Beginning with today’s opening and through Sunday, June 11, IKEA Columbus will recognize loyal, enthusiastic customers by giving away thousands of dollars in gift cards and merchandise.

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

  • Rest Assured – The first 44 adults (18 & older) in IKEA Columbus on June 7, 2017 are receiving a free EKTORP three-seat sofa, honoring our 44th U.S. store.
  • Take a Seat (And We Mean Take It!) – The next 100 adults (18 & older) in IKEA Columbus on June 7, 2017 are receiving a free POÄNG armchair.
  • For the (Truly) Young at Heart – The first 100 children (17 & younger) in IKEA Columbus on June 7, 2017 are receiving a free FAMNIG heart-shaped soft toy.
  • Pick a Card, Any Card – The first 2,500 adults (18 & older) in IKEA Columbus on June 7, 2017 are receiving a random prize envelope with IKEA 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 IKEA Columbus on June 7, 2017 their birthday is the same as the store’s are receiving a gift card in the amount of $44, a tie-in corresponding to IKEA Columbus as the 44th U.S. IKEA store.
  • Enter our Home, Enter to Win – From June 7 through June 11, 2017, visitors to IKEA Columbus 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 The Homeless Families Foundation, a local organization that provides housing assistance and educational services to homeless families living in Columbus.

Thursday, June 8, 2017

  • Sleep Like Royalty – The first 44 adults (18 & older) in IKEA Columbus on Thursday, June 8, 2017 will receive a free queen-sized HAUGESUND mattress.
  • Cozy Comfort – The next 100 adults (18 & older) in IKEA Columbus on Thursday, June 8, 2017 will receive a free ALINA “sleep set” of bedspread and cushion covers and two FJADRAR pillows.
  • Kid’s Best Friend – The first 100 children (17 & younger) in IKEA Columbus on June 8, 2017 will receive a free GOSIG golden dog soft toy.

Friday, June 9, 2017

  • Cook (& Store) Like a Pro – The first 44 adults in IKEA Columbus on Friday, June 9, 2017 will receive a free 365+ 6-piece cookware starter set and a FORTROLIG food container storage set.
  • It’s in the Bag! – The next 44 adults (18 & older) in IKEA Columbus on Friday, June 9, 2017 will receive freezer bags filled with five different Swedish meals, complete with beverages and desserts, from the store’s Swedish Food Market.
  • A Cold Sweet-ish Treat – The first 100 children (17 & under) in IKEA Columbus on Friday, June 9, 2017 will receive a voucher for a soft-serve frozen yogurt that day at the Exit Bistro.

Wednesday, June 7 - Sunday, June 11, 2017

  • Play Big If You’re Little – Balloon artists, entertainment and face-painting will enhance the family-friendly fun at IKEA Columbus from June 7 through June 11, 2017.

ADDITIONAL OFFERS AT IKEA COLUMBUS

IKEA Columbus 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 IKEA Columbus because:

  • The IKEA Restaurant opens 30 minutes earlier than the store for a full hot breakfast, including scrambled eggs, potatoes, turkey sausage and Swedish pancakes for only $2.00.
  • The 450-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.

IKEA Columbus 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;
  • 26 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.

With IKEA Columbus now open, there are 397 IKEA stores in 48 countries, including 44 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 strives to be an employer of choice. 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.

Contacts

IKEA
Joseph Roth, 610-834-0180, x6500
Expansion Public Affairs
or
Burson-Marsteller
Kate Mitchell, 312-596-3526; cell: 646-204-7521

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Contacts

IKEA
Joseph Roth, 610-834-0180, x6500
Expansion Public Affairs
or
Burson-Marsteller
Kate Mitchell, 312-596-3526; cell: 646-204-7521