IKEA, the global furniture giant, is set to open a new store in downtown San Francisco on August 23, the company announced on Tuesday. The store will be located at 945 Market Street, near the Powell Street BART station, and will be part of a new urban mall developed by Ingka Centres, an IKEA-affiliated company.
The store will span three floors and 52,000 square feet, featuring 27 fully-furnished room displays tailored for city dwellers, IKEA said. The store will also have a Swedish Deli that will offer food and drinks, such as the famous Swedish meatballs.
The opening of the IKEA store comes amid a wave of retail closures in downtown San Francisco, as many retailers have struggled with high rents, low foot traffic, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In recent months, several well-known brands, such as Whole Foods, Old Navy, and Nordstrom, have shut down their stores in the area.
However, IKEA San Francisco Market Manager Arda Akalin expressed optimism about the store opening in a statement. “We are so excited to open the doors of our new IKEA store to our neighbors in the San Francisco area,” Akalin said.
“We appreciate the excitement and support from the community and can’t wait for our customers to experience the new store full of affordable home furnishings and solutions that reflect who San Franciscans are and how they live.”
San Francisco Mayor London Breed also welcomed the arrival of IKEA, saying that it will bring local jobs and excitement to the Union Square area. “The arrival of IKEA is great news for the City’s economic recovery that will bring local jobs and excitement to the Union Square area,” Breed posted on social media.
IKEA already has two other stores in the Bay Area, in Emeryville and East Palo Alto. The new store in San Francisco will be IKEA’s first city-format store in the U.S., which aims to be more affordable, accessible, and convenient for urban customers. The store will be open from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM daily.