Ikea to 'pop' up in downtown Toronto

Ikea Canada is opening in the heart of downtown Toronto—in the form of a food focused pop-up shop that will be open from May 13 to May 26.



More than 50 Ikea products will be available for purchase, including both household accessories and food items.



The space is designed to take consumers through a culinary journey to challenge how they look at food and entice them to break with conventional food rules in a way that is healthy, affordable and fun, Ikea explained. Each room challenges consumer expectations about food – and the Swedish retailer. Features include a gigantic interactive recipe book and green displays designed to inspire growing and producing food at home.



An Ikea kitchen will also be on display, as well as two Google Cardboard viewers, which will allow consumers to experience four different Ikea kitchens with virtual reality showcasing various door fronts, cabinets, appliances, sinks, storage solutions and other products.



The shop will also offer food sampling daily and learning sessions with George Brown College Chef Students.



"As a home furnishings retailer, we're known for pushing boundaries and trying new things and we take the same approach with our food,” said Stefan Sjöstrand, president of Ikea Canada. “We want to give consumers the opportunity to think about food differently and this interactive Pop-up Experience showcases how innovative Ikea is.’



The pop-up is part of a promotional effort to support Ikea’s global theme of 'It Starts WithThe Food' campaign, which is built around the idea of food as a uniting force among people. The campaign will include meatball carts that serve meat and veggie ball samples to consumers around the city of Toronto, streetcar wraps, murals and street chalk artwork, and other digital and social initiatives.