CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings retailer, today announced it is submitting plans to the Town of Cary, NC for a potential Raleigh-area store which could open as the second IKEA location in the state. The proposed 15-acre site would be located near I-40 and Cary Towne Boulevard, adjacent to the existing Cary Towne Center, approximately 12 miles west of downtown Raleigh and two miles from downtown Cary.
The Town already is considering a rezoning for part of the existing center that would be demolished during the initial phase of a redevelopment – now to include IKEA. This submittal of a development plan allows Cary to formally consider an IKEA-specific use at the location and begin the Town Council’s review of an actual IKEA proposal for an approximately 359,000-square-foot store and a two-level parking structure with 1,000 parking spaces. If approved, an IKEA Cary store could open as early as Summer 2020. Until then, customers can shop at IKEA Charlotte (which opened in 2009) or online at IKEA-USA.com.
“We are excited about the opportunity for a potential second North Carolina IKEA store at this location in Cary,” said IKEA U.S. president Lars Petersson. “A store in the Raleigh area would complement our strong presence established in Charlotte and eventually provide customers in Central and Eastern North Carolina an IKEA store closer to them.”
A potential Cary store would reflect the same unique architectural design for which IKEA is known worldwide, and would feature nearly 10,000 exclusively designed items, 50 inspirational room-settings, three model home interiors, a supervised children’s play area, and a 450-seat restaurant serving Swedish specialties such as meatballs with lingonberries and 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 preferred parking. In addition to more than 500 jobs created during construction, approximately 300 coworkers would join the IKEA family when the new store opens. A Cary store could provide significant annual tax revenue for local governments and schools.
After town approval, IKEA will evaluate potential on-site power generation to complement the current U.S. renewable energy presence at nearly 90% of its U.S. locations. Drawing from its Swedish heritage and respect for nature, IKEA believes it makes business sense to minimize environmental impacts and contribute to a low-carbon society. 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; building 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 16 locations and solar arrays at 90% of its locations in addition to owning two wind farms in the U.S.
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 43 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.
