RENTON, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings retailer, today opened the doors of its relocated Seattle-area store in Renton, Washington, which was constructed in the parking lot of the original IKEA store. The 399,000-square-foot new IKEA Renton is located on the 29-acre IKEA parcel near State Highway 167, approximately 11 miles southeast of downtown Seattle. (The old Seattle-area store – which opened in 1994 – closed permanently on Monday evening, February 20.)
The new Renton store employs approximately 425 coworkers (including nearly 50 new hires) and features 10,000 exclusively-designed items, a 600-seat IKEA Restaurant, 43 inspirational room settings, three model home interiors, a supervised children’s play area and will have approximately 1,600 parking spaces with five electric vehicle charging stations. Also, reflecting the company’s renewable energy presence at 90% of its U.S. locations, IKEA installed Washington’s largest rooftop solar array atop IKEA Renton, and the store – in addition to selling only LED lighting – is using only LED fixtures inside and outside the building.
“After more than 22 years in the Pacific Northwest, we are excited about building upon our established Seattle-area presence with a new, updated and enhanced store across the parking lot from the original one in Renton,” said Diedre Goodchild, store manager. “The enthusiasm of coworkers about offering the latest version of the unique IKEA concept is translating into an exciting experience for long-time customers as well as first-time visitors.”
Before the doors opened, Goodchild 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 Renton Mayor Denis Law, Goodchild was joined by two of IKEA Renton’s three current coworkers who have been with IKEA since the original store opened more than 22 years ago. They raised the U.S. and Washington flags, and Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce president Martin Lundgren raised the Swedish flag. To accompany the flag-raisings, individual store coworkers sang the American national anthem and “America the Beautiful,” and the Tacoma VASA Group sang the Swedish national anthem.
On Tuesday, February 21, one day before the new store opened – and the morning after the old store had closed – IKEA provided an opportunity for local charitable groups to benefit from some home furnishings remaining at the old store. Many products boxed and inventoried in the Self-Serve Furniture Area and items still on pallets in the accessories marketplace were available for chosen organizations to select as part of a donation day shopping spree for more than $56,000.
Although the new IKEA Renton now is open, onsite construction work will continue because the old store ultimately must be demolished to create more parking. Because the new store was built in part of the original parking area, IKEA has been providing off-site parking with shuttle service and furniture valet on holidays and weekends. The temporary off-site parking and shuttle arrangement will be maintained until the new lot is finished. Upon completion of the entire project in early Fall 2017, IKEA will throw a housewarming celebration to welcome customers to the new store with activities including assorted giveaways, product promotions, food sampling and in-store entertainment.
In the meantime, IKEA Renton will welcome loyal, enthusiastic customers in the brand new building.
AN ENHANCED SHOPPING EXPERIENCE AT THE NEW IKEA RENTON
The New IKEA Renton 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;
- Activity stations throughout the store for kids shopping with their parents;
- A “Children’s IKEA” area in the Showroom that also offers fun, interactive play; and
- Attention-to-detail amenities such as child-height stair-railings, family-friendly parking, strollers and baby care rooms.
No shopping on an empty stomach at the New IKEA Renton because:
- The IKEA Restaurant opens one hour earlier than the store for a full hot breakfast selection, including scrambled eggs, potatoes, turkey sausage and Swedish pancakes for only $2.00.
- 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) and seafood plates, as well as American dishes such as 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 Foodmarket offers Swedish delicacies, snacks and treats, and frozen Swedish meatballs (the same ones available in the Restaurant) to purchase and prepare at home.
- The Exit Bistro serves hot dogs, pizza, cinnamon buns, frozen yogurt, sundaes and beverages.
The New IKEA Renton shopping conveniences include:
- IKEA catalogs, measuring tape, pencils, store maps, 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;
- A newly introduced gift registry; 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.
