IKEA Canada Announces Plans to Build Its Largest Store in Canada in Ottawa
Larger format store will be built within the existing Pinecrest Mall by the fall of 2011
BURLINGTON, ON, March 31 /CNW/ - IKEA Canada announced today it is ready to move forward with plans to build its largest Canadian store in Ottawa. The new store will be relocated and rebuilt in the existing Pinecrest Mall and is scheduled to open by the fall of 2011. The new larger store will better serve the needs of the Ottawa market.
"Being a single store market, we have recognized the need to grow our business in Ottawa to accommodate our customers," says Kerri Molinaro, President of IKEA Canada. "The new store will be a completely different shopping experience to our customers in Ottawa that will offer more inspirational room settings, our full range of IKEA products, a large scale restaurant and more in-store services."
Construction of the 398,000 sq ft new store will begin in May and will take up to 18 months to relocate and build. The construction process will be done in phases as the building of the new store involves relocating other tenants to allow the new IKEA store to move and be built on the East side of Pinecrest Mall.
Besides offering nearly 9,500 exclusively designed products, the new Ottawa store will feature 50 room settings, a new children's play area, a 640-seat restaurant, and over 1,200 parking spaces. In line with IKEA's policy to have a positive impact on people and the environment, the new store will incorporate many sustainable and environmental features such as high efficiency heating and cooling systems, water conservation plumbing fixtures, and skylights that will allow for more natural light thereby reducing the lighting provided by fixtures. IKEA Canada is also exploring the use of rooftop solar panels that feed into the local power grid.
In addition to jobs created during the construction phase, IKEA will be looking to recruit an additional 125 coworkers to join the IKEA family when the new store opens.
About IKEA
IKEA is a leading home furnishings retailer with 267 stores in 25 countries worldwide, which are visited by 590 million people every year. IKEA Canada has 11 stores which are visited by over 25 million people every year. Last year the ikea.com websites attracted 561 million visitors. Founded in 1943, IKEA's business philosophy is to offer a wide range of products of good design and function at prices so low, the majority of people can afford them. For more information on IKEA, please visit: www.ikea.ca.
For further information: or to schedule an interview with an IKEA spokesperson please contact: STEFANIE NIEWADA, ACCOUNT MANAGER, OPTIMUM PUBLIC RELATIONS, T: (416) 934-8020, [email protected]
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