What’s old is new again as Ikea Canada is once again setting up shop in Kitchener with a boutique-style store.
The Swedish chain will open a ‘plan and order’ store, next to the State and Main restaurant, on Fairway Road this fall.
“The Plan and order point concept, previously called a planning studio, focuses on inspiring and supporting customers who are looking to plan and order complex home furnishing solutions for any room in the home with the help of a knowledgeable IKEA specialist,” the company said in a release.
The new store will offer planning services by appointment while also showcasing some product lines.
Customers will still miss out on the cheap meals that the big box version of IKEA stores offers and will also not get their lingonberry jam or frozen meatballs, either.
In addition, those who wish to order a Billy Bookcase or other furniture item will have to order them and either have them shipped to their homes or to a local IKEA pick-up location, including the one on Gage Avenue in Kitchener.
There are 30 plan and order points around the world while the one in Kitchener will be the second in Canada, after one opens in Quebec this summer.
The company had previously referred to them as planning studios but changed the name to avoid confusion.
IKEA had a pick-up store on Gateway Park Drive in Kitchener which was shuttered in January 2020 as the company said it was part of a global test program to see how consumers wanted to shop for its products.
“Our ambition is that the IKEA plan and order point will deliver local, relevant home furnishing solutions and services that meet the evolving needs of this community in a meaningful way,” IKEA spokesperson Lisa Huie said in an email.
A few months later, it announced it had partnered with a third-party on a pick-up location in Kitchener.
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