Inter Ikea Systems BV

Ikea has tabbed a 123-acre parcel 17 miles north of downtown Denver as the potential site of its second location in the metro. The Swedish furniture retailer made its debut in the area with a store in Centennial in 2011.   Ikea set no time frame for the opening of the second store, though the city of Denver has begun the process of incorporating a new Ikea into the master-planned retail center destined for the site in Broomfield at the intersection of Interstate 25 and State Highway 7.  

Personalization continues to be the trend that just won’t go away, probably because it’s the new normal in how consumers want to interact with brands and retailers. Personalized videos hold the promise to surprise and delight (and covert), especially as we collectively spend more and more of our time viewing videos online. And personalized promotions help retailers maximize scarce marketing dollars, ensuring the right customer gets the right call to action at the right time.

Mall of America is using leading-edge technology to enhance the on- and offsite customer experience.   The Bloomington, Minnesota-based center is the latest retail participant to adopt virtual reality (VR) technology. A new, VR-based immersive experience allows customers to “see” retail, entertainment and live events within the mall.  

Ikea is expanding its renewable energy portfolio with state-of-the-art fuel cell technology.   Based on the success of its pilot installation, Ikea said it plans to install biogas-powered fuel cell systems at four more stores in California.  

Ikea is submitting plans to the City of Norfolk, Virginia, to open a 331,000-sq.-ft. store.   Pending approvals, construction of the proposed store could begin in spring 2017, with an opening in summer 2018. The retailer said it would evaluate potential on-site power generation to complement its current U.S. renewable energy presence at nearly 90% of its U.S. locations.  

An organization that has taken the retail world by storm in the past several years just earned another accolade.
 
According to the 2016 BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands ranking released by WPP and Millward Brown, Amazon.com has become the World's Most Valuable Global Retail Brand
 

Ikea has broken ground for its second store in Ohio.

The new Ikea will open in summer 2017. The 355,000-sq.-ft. store is being built on 33 acres at the northeastern corner of Interstate-71 and Gemini Place in the Polaris Centers of Commerce development, approximately 15 miles north of downtown Columbus.

The retailer has contracted with Pepper Construction to build the project. The chain 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.
 

Ikea Las Vegas is open for business.

The 351,000-sq.-ft. location is the company’s first store in Nevada, 42nd in the United States, and 385th worldwide.

It also is the second U.S. Ikea location to deploy only LED lighting inside and outside the building, and to feature only LED products for sale in its lighting department.

In addition, the store features the largest single-use retail rooftop solar array in Nevada. To date, Ikea has a renewable energy presence at 90% of its U.S. locations.