IKEA announces it will open second store in Phoenix area
Sep 21, 2017, 10:53 AM | Updated: 6:53 pm
(Business Wire Photo)
PHOENIX — Swedish furniture company IKEA announced Thursday that it planned to open a second store in the Phoenix area.
In a press release, the company said it hoped to open a location near the Loop 101 and Bethany Home Road in Glendale by the spring of 2020.
The international chain’s first Arizona store opened in Tempe in 2004.
“We are thrilled with the reception afforded us after entering Arizona nearly 13 years ago, so we are excited about submitting plans for IKEA Glendale to extend our Phoenix-area reach,” Lars Petersson, the president of IKEA’s United States stores, said.
IKEA said it would hire about 500 construction workers to build the store and another 300 to work inside it.
The proposed store would display furniture and other wares in 348,000 square feet. The store, along with more than 1,000 parking spots, would take up about 29 acres, but it will sit on a 67-acre plot of land.
“This proposed Glendale store would complement our Phoenix-area presence established in Tempe and bring the unique family-friendly shopping experience closer to customers in the West Valley and beyond,” Petersson said.
Glendale City Manager Kevin Phelps said lawmakers believe the new IKEA will be a catalyst for a number of businesses and private investment coming into Glendale.
“We’re really starting to leverage the infrastructure to attract businesses,” he said. “Within a mile radius of where IKEA is at, we’ve already identified upwards of over a $1 billion of projects that are going to be coming in over the next couple of years.”
The company also said it was considering on-site renewable power generation.
The new store would carry about 10,000 items, feature numerous displays and offer a children’s play area. It would also have a restaurant.
IKEA, founded in 1943, has more than 400 stores in 49 countries.
KTAR News’ Tom Perumean contributed to this report.