FISHERS – The opening date of Indiana’s first IKEA store is set for Oct. 11.
The new Swedish furniture store, at the 116th Street exit of Interstate 69, will commence a highly anticipated grand opening at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 11, the city announced via Twitter Tuesday.
“We are thrilled by the excellent construction progress made to date, and believe we can complete the remaining milestones and interior build-up by mid-October,” said Holly Davidson, store manager, in a press release. “We look forward to introducing a whole new way of shopping for the home to customers from Central Indiana and beyond.”
For those IKEA diehards looking for freebies, shoppers are allowed to begin lining up two days earlier on Oct. 9. Though IKEA has yet to announce giveaways for the Fishers location, at a recent opening in Columbus, Ohio, the first 44 customers got a free couch and the next 100 took home free chairs.
Beyond modern, modular furnishings, the Fishers location will also feature one of Indiana’s largest solar rooftops, to augment the retailer’s energy needs.
IKEA Fishers will feature nearly 50 room-settings, three model home interiors, a supervised children’s play area, and a 325-seat restaurant serving Swedish specialties such as meatballs with lingonberries and salmon plates, as well as American dishes and more sustainable options.
In addition to the more than 500 jobs created from construction, approximately 250 co-workers will join the IKEA family when the new store opens.
There are currently 400 IKEA stores in 49 countries, including 44 in the U.S. IKEA has been ranked among “Best Companies to Work For” and, as further investment in its co-workers, has raised its own minimum wage twice in two years.