IKEA U.S. announced that the first city center location in the country – the IKEA Planning Studio – will open its doors to the public on Monday, April 15. Located at 999 Third Avenue in New York City, the new IKEA touchpoint will focus on providing inspiration and smart solutions for city living and small spaces.
“We conducted extensive research about city living, and we believe New Yorkers will see their needs reflected this new concept,” said Leontyne Green Sykes, Chief Operating Officer, IKEA Retail U.S. “We hope the Planning Studio will serve as a convenient destination for design expertise and stylish, multi-functional home furnishing solutions.”
The Planning Studio will be open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, offering personalized service for designing living spaces with the unique challenges of city dwellers in mind. Customers will be able to discover small space/city-living solutions and browse many of the most popular products and lines at IKEA.
IKEA experts will be available (by appointment) to work with customers in designing spaces and planning projects. All purchases made at the IKEA Planning Studio will be conveniently delivered (for a cost) to the customer’s home. Customers can also arrange for additional services such as furniture assembly and installation.
Walk-ins are welcome, but to take full advantage of the Planning Studio services, IKEA will also be launching an online and mobile booking tool for customers to schedule appointments and maximize their time with IKEA planning specialists.
Globally, IKEA recently announced the development of 30 new touchpoints in city centers over the next three years to be more accessible and convenient for customers wherever they are. The New York City location is the first market in the U.S. for the Planning Studio concept.
The IKEA Planning Studio will complement the existing stores in the New York market- Brooklyn, Elizabeth, Paramus and Long Island – as well as, the recently opened customer fulfilment center in Staten Island, which allows IKEA to meet the delivery needs of its New York-area customers with greater agility and speed.