Ikea to open its largest store in U.S. in 2016

Ikea will open the largest Ikea store in the United States in Burbank, Calif., next year.

The new store, on 22 acres along Interstate 5 in Burbank, be 456,000 square feet (the biggest Ikea in the world, at 594,000 square feet, is in Stockholm). Plans include parking for 1,700 cars, "improved access and parking and a larger warehouse space," plus "50 'inspirational room-settings,' three model-home interiors, a supervised children's play area and a larger restaurant for serving Swedish specialties."

Ikea has contracted with VCC Construction to build the new Burbank store. Just as the existing location has a solar photovoltaic array atop its roof, the retailer hopes to install a similar solar energy system atop the relocated store.

In addition, the company now offers a product picking and delivery service and a family loyalty program. It also has begun visiting homes in areas where it has stores so design solutions can better reflect local living situations.