IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings retailer, has pushed its customer experience to a new level.
The company recently opened the doors of its new store in Burbank, Ca., which comprises 456,000 square feet on 22 acres west of San Fernando Boulevard and south of Providencia Avenue–less than one mile from the company’s oldest store in the western United States. The original IKEA Burbank store–which opened in 1990 and comprised 242,000 square feet– closed its doors permanently on Feb. 4, 2017.
The New IKEA Burbank store employs approximately 575 co-workers (including 150 new hires) and features 10,000 exclusively-designed items, a 600-seat IKEA Restaurant, 50 inspirational room settings, three model home interiors, a supervised children’s play area, and approximately 1,700 parking spaces with six electric vehicle charging stations. In addition to selling only LED lighting, IKEA has incorporated only LED fixtures for use inside and outside the building.
Joseph Roth, IKEA U.S. expansion/property public affairs, talked to Loyalty360 about the enhancements at the new Burbank store that have heightened the customer experience.
“We had been aware of the challenges at the old location for many years, and had been looking for a solution that either involved expanding the store, changing the concept, leaving it alone, or actually moving it and building a new one – which we did,” Roth explained. “Fortunately, we were able to find a location less than a mile away and still in Burbank.”
Roth cited the following key factors that have contributed to an elevated shopping experience at the new Burbank store:
Access and visibility from I-5 are much better.
The parking situation was complicated, across the street and not designated just for IKEA. Now there are 1,700 spaces just for us.
There was a loading zone which was the only way to take large purchases home. In the new store, customers can take their cart straight to their car.
The old store was very small but very busy. The additional square footage in the new store will accommodate customers in a more spacious and roomier environment.
The restaurant is more than three times the size of the old one.
The new store can carry all items in the IKEA product selection – the old store had a limited offering.
The new store can carry greater quantities of items.
The New IKEA Burbank offers families various attractive options:
Småland, a supervised children’s play area (for children 37”-54” in height) that replicates the look of a typical Swedish farmhouse and forest
Additional play areas throughout the store, offering activities for kids shopping with parents
A “Children’s IKEA” area in the Showroom that also offers fun, interactive play
Attention-to-detail amenities such as family-friendly parking, strollers and baby care rooms
No shopping on an empty stomach at the New IKEA Burbank because:
The IKEA Restaurant opens 30 minutes earlier than the store for a full hot breakfast, including scrambled eggs, potatoes and turkey sausage for only $1.00.
The 600-seat restaurant also offers a diverse menu featuring lunch, dinner, snacks and dessert, including Swedish specialties such as the popular IKEA Swedish meatballs (as well as chicken or veggie versions), seafood plates, pasta, chicken, salads, sandwiches, and vegetarian dishes too.
The Swedish Food Market offers Swedish delicacies, snacks, and treats, and frozen Swedish meatballs (the same ones available in the Restaurant) to purchase and then prepare at home.
The Exit Bistro serves hot dogs, pizza, cinnamon buns, frozen yogurt, sundaes, and beverages.
The New IKEA Burbank shopping conveniences include: Free design appointments with a furnishings consultant; IKEA catalogs, measuring tape, pencils, store maps, yellow shopping bags and three types of carts; same-day shopping satisfaction with products in easy-to-transport flat-pack boxes that benefit the customer and the environment;
30 checkout lanes to ensure efficient customer purchasing;
Warehouse picking, home delivery, assembly, and kitchen planning and installation services; and
2017 IKEA Catalogs, focused on how food-related activities help bring people together in everyday life in and around the kitchen.