CONSHOHOCKEN, PA, 2016-Dec-01 — /EPR Retail News/ — IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings retailer, today (11/29/2016) announced it is submitting plans to the City of Live Oak, Texas for a San Antonio-area store that would increase the Swedish company’s U.S. presence with its fifth store in the state. Pending approvals, construction of IKEA Live Oak could begin in Spring 2018, with an opening in Summer 2019. Until then, customers can shop at the closest IKEA stores in Houston and Round Rock, or online at IKEA-USA.com. In North Texas, IKEA is represented by a store in Frisco as well as a store opening Fall 2017 in Grand Prairie.
Located approximately 15 miles northeast of downtown San Antonio, the 289,000-square-foot proposed IKEA store and its approximately 1,000 parking spaces would be built on 31 acres at the southwestern corner of Interstate 35 and Loop 1604. Store plans reflect the same unique architectural design for which IKEA stores are known worldwide. IKEA also will evaluate potential on-site power generation to complement its current U.S. renewable energy presence at nearly 90% of its U.S. locations.
“We are excited at the possibility of growing our U.S. and Texas presence with a San Antonio-area store,” said IKEA U.S. president Lars Petersson. “This location would provide our already 180,000 San Antonio-area customers their own store and introduce the unique IKEA shopping experience to others throughout South Texas.”
IKEA Live Oak would feature nearly 10,000 exclusively designed items, 50 inspirational room-settings, three model home interiors, a supervised children’s play area, and a 325-seat restaurant serving Swedish specialties such as meatballs with lingonberries, salmon plates, as well as American dishes. Other family-friendly features include a ‘Children’s IKEA’ area in the Showroom, baby care rooms, play areas throughout the store, and preferring parking. In addition to the more than 500 jobs that are expected during the construction phase, approximately 250 coworkers would join the IKEA family when the new store opens. IKEA Live Oak also would provide significant annual sales and property tax revenue for local governments and schools.
Drawing from its Swedish heritage and respect of nature, IKEA strives to minimize its operations’ carbon emissions because reducing environmental impacts makes business sense. IKEA evaluates locations for conservation opportunities, integrates innovative materials into product design, works to maintain sustainable resources, and flat-packs goods for efficient distribution. U.S. sustainable efforts include: recycling waste material; key measures in buildings with energy-efficient HVAC and lighting systems, recycled construction materials, warehouse skylights, and water-conserving restrooms; and operationally, eliminating plastic bags from the check-out process, and selling only LED lighting. IKEA U.S. has installed electric vehicle charging stations at 14 locations and solar arrays at 90% of its locations, and owns two U.S. wind farms.
Since its 1943 founding in Sweden, IKEA has offered home furnishings of good design and function at affordable prices. There are currently more than 390 IKEA stores in 48 countries, including 42 in the U.S. IKEA has been ranked among “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, @IKEAUSANews, @IKEAUSA or IKEAUSA on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest.
Contact:
Joseph Roth
Expansion Public Affairs
(610) 834-0180, x 6500
Source: IKEA