Ikea sets opening date for downtown San Francisco store

Ikea is about to give San Francisco’s struggling retail scene a big boost. 

The Swedish home furnishings retailer will open on Market Street in downtown San Francisco on Wednesday, August 23. The store will be the anchor of a new “meeting place” concept from Ingka Centres, a global developer and operator of retail-led destinations that is part of Ingka Group, the largest Ikea retailer.

Ikea will be  the first retailer to open in the building. Featuring Ikea’s city format, the store will feature more than 52,000 sq. ft. of space across three levels of the building, including 27 fully furnished room settings designed to showcase “city living” solutions.

In-store, customers will be able to purchase and take home a range of 2,500 smaller home furnishing accessories and special collection items that will focus on affordability, sustainability and small-space living. 

Larger furniture items such as  couches and bookshelves will be available to order for home delivery along with the entire range of Ikea products. For added convenience, TaskRabbit has partnered with Lugg to deliver items the same or next day from the store.

The new Ikea store will also offer the the retailer’s “Buy Back & resell” service. It will buy back select Ikea furniture products in return for store credit. The furniture will be given a second life through resale in the store’s As-Is section.

“We are thrilled to welcome Ikea at our future meeting place with its first city store in San Francisco,” said Miia Kautovaara, Ingka Centres meeting place manager in San Francisco. “Together with Ikea we will play our part and contribute to revitalizing Market Street, and the neighborhood by creating an appealing meeting place for the local communities. “

 Ingka Centres recently announced plans for the meeting place, which will soon offer visitors a flexible co-working space with a “non-conventional foodhall” and a multipurpose space. 

Ikea has been in the San Francisco area since 2000, with location in Emeryville, and East Palo Alto.