IKEA Continues U.S. Expansion by Submitting Plans to Open a San Antonio-Area Store Summer 2019 in Live Oak, Texas

CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings retailer, today announced it
is submitting plans to the City of Live Oak, Texas for a San
Antonio-area store that would increase the Swedish company’s U.S.
presence with its fifth store in the state. Pending approvals,
construction of IKEA Live Oak could begin in Spring 2018, with an
opening in Summer 2019. Until then, customers can shop at the closest
IKEA stores in Houston and Round Rock, or online at IKEA-USA.com.
In North Texas, IKEA is represented by a store in Frisco as well as a
store opening Fall 2017 in Grand Prairie.

Located approximately 15 miles northeast of downtown San Antonio, the
289,000-square-foot proposed IKEA store and its approximately 1,000
parking spaces would be built on 31 acres at the southwestern corner of
Interstate 35 and Loop 1604. Store plans reflect the same unique
architectural design for which IKEA stores are known worldwide. IKEA
also will evaluate potential on-site power generation to complement its
current U.S. renewable energy presence at nearly 90% of its U.S.
locations.

“We are excited at the possibility of growing our U.S. and Texas
presence with a San Antonio-area store,” said IKEA U.S. president Lars
Petersson. “This location would provide our already 180,000 San
Antonio-area customers their own store and introduce the unique IKEA
shopping experience to others throughout South Texas.”

IKEA Live Oak would feature nearly 10,000 exclusively designed items, 50
inspirational room-settings, three model home interiors, a supervised
children’s play area, and a 325-seat restaurant serving Swedish
specialties such as meatballs with lingonberries, 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 preferring parking. In addition to the more than 500 jobs
that are expected during the construction phase, approximately 250
coworkers would join the IKEA family when the new store opens. IKEA Live
Oak also would provide significant annual sales and property tax revenue
for local governments and schools.

Drawing from its Swedish heritage and respect of nature, IKEA strives to
minimize its operations’ carbon emissions because reducing environmental
impacts makes business sense. IKEA evaluates locations for conservation
opportunities, integrates innovative materials into product design,
works to maintain sustainable resources, and flat-packs goods for
efficient distribution. U.S. sustainable efforts include: recycling
waste material; key measures in buildings with energy-efficient HVAC and
lighting systems, recycled construction materials, warehouse skylights,
and water-conserving restrooms; and operationally, eliminating plastic
bags from the check-out process, and selling only LED lighting. IKEA
U.S. has installed electric vehicle charging stations at 14 locations
and solar arrays at 90% of its locations, and owns two U.S. wind farms.

Since its 1943 founding in Sweden, IKEA has offered home furnishings of
good design and function at affordable prices. There are currently more
than 390 IKEA stores in 48 countries, including 42 in the U.S. IKEA has
been ranked among “Best Companies to Work For” and, as further
investment in its coworkers, has raised its own minimum wage twice in
two years. IKEA incorporates sustainability into day-to-day business and
supports initiatives that benefit children and the environment. For more
information see IKEA-USA.com,
@IKEAUSANews,
@IKEAUSA
or IKEAUSA on Facebook,
YouTube,
Instagram
and Pinterest.

Contacts

IKEA
Joseph Roth, Expansion Public Affairs
(610)
834-0180, x 6500