Manhattan's First Ikea To Open In April, Company Says

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Swedish furniture giant IKEA revealed new details about the company's first Manhattan store, announcing Tuesday that the small-format "planning studio" will debut in April

The store will open its doors to customers on April 15 at its Third Avenue and East 59th Street location, IKEA officials said. Unlike IKEA's sprawling warehouse locations, no furniture will actually be sold on-site at the Manhattan sore. Instead, customers will browse a curated selection of offerings and order items to be delivered to their homes, company officials said.

"We conducted extensive research about city living, and we believe New Yorkers will see their needs reflected this new concept," Leontyne Green Sykes, Chief Operating Officer of IKEA Retail U.S., said in a statement. "We hope the Planning Studio will serve as a convenient destination for design expertise and stylish, multi-functional home furnishing solutions."

The new format is an attempt by IKEA to establish a retail presence in city centers. Manhattan's Third Avenue location will be IKEA's first small-format store in the United States, and the company plans to open 30 small-format locations in city centers worldwide, according to a press release.

Customers at the Manhattan IKEA will be encouraged to book an appointment with an "IKEA expert," but walk-ins will also be accepted, company officials said. Items ordered at the planning studio will be delivered at a cost to customers' homes, and customers can also arrange for services such as assembly and installation.

Shoppers who prefer to select and pick up furniture in one trip will still have the options to schlep out to IKEA's Red Hook store. The small-format location isn't intended to replace IKEA's warehouse-style stores like Red Hook, but instead to compliment the larger locations, according to a company press release.

IKEA also released renderings of the new store, which can be seen below:

Renderings courtest IKEA