IKEA Begins Work to Pave Way for Expansion of Detroit-Area Store

Furniture World News Desk on 9/30/2014

IKEA reported that it recently  began significant demolition of a 30,145-square-foot building adjacent to its Detroit-area store in Canton, MI. Razing of the vacant retail building will make room for the Swedish retailer’s planned expansion of the IKEA Canton store approved by Canton Township earlier this year. As a result of this project, IKEA Canton, which opened June 2006 at 311,000 square feet in size, will grow nearly 44,000 SF to the new size of approximately 355,000 SF with the project’s completion by Summer 2015.

IKEA selected Lansing-based Clark Construction Company to serve as construction manager for the building’s demolition and store’s expansion. One of the largest such companies in Michigan, Clark managed the construction of IKEA Canton eight years ago, as well as the Cincinnati-area IKEA store in West Chester, Ohio more than six years ago.

The current Canton project includes expanding the Self-Serve Furniture Area (where shoppers collect flat-packed furniture to take home on the same day), rearranging customer service functions to the newly built part of the store and enlarging the home delivery area. This extension will blend seamlessly into the existing structure so the store can preserve the unique architectural design for which IKEA stores are known worldwide. During construction and build-up of this extension, the full product selection will remain available onsite.

“We are very excited about demolition starting today and advancing the expansion of IKEA Canton,” said Matt Hunsicker, IKEA Canton store manager. “The store’s success created the need to extend the store’s Self-Serve Furniture Area so it can hold more products and improve our customer shopping experience. We appreciate the Township’s continuing support of IKEA, and our customer’s patience as we begin this project.”

For less than a year, IKEA Canton will undergo phased implementation of a reconfigured Self-Serve Furniture Area, a larger ‘As-Is’ section, as well as larger and shifted customer service areas such as Furniture Pick-Up and an expanded Home Delivery area. The Exit Bistro and Swedish Food Market, however, will stay in their current locations. Ultimately, the entire warehouse area of the store will increase from 75,294 SF to 113,294 SF.

Located on approximately 30 acres along Ford Road off I-275 at Haggerty Road, the 311,000-square-foot IKEA Canton opened in June 2006. In addition to 10,000 exclusively designed items, the store presents 52 different room-settings, three model home interiors, a supervised children’s play area, and a 350-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. Also, IKEA installed Michigan’s largest solar array atop the roof of the store in 2012.

Since its 1943 founding in Sweden, IKEA has offered home furnishings of good design and function, at low prices so the majority of people can afford them. There are currently more than 360 IKEA stores in 45 countries, including 40 in the U.S. IKEA incorporates sustainability into day-to-day business and supports initiatives that benefit children and the environment. For more information see IKEA-USA.com.