Swedish-based IKEA, the world’s largest furniture retailer, is expanding its presence in North America by opening a new store in Portland, Ore., by next summer, according to an IKEA release.
The new store will be the company’s first in Oregon, and only the second in the Pacific Northwest. The closest option Eugeneans currently have is IKEA’s Seattle-area store.
IKEA Representative Joseph Roth said Portland meets the company’s general requirement of at least a two-million-person population base before a store opens in that city. Portland’s proximity to its stores in Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, also added to the decision to open in Oregon, he said.
“That’s how we keep our prices low; by maximizing our distribution network,” Roth said.
Construction officially began in July on a 19-acre lot by Portland Airport. The new 280,000-square-foot store will offer customers 50 different room settings, three complete homes and a full-service 250-seat Swedish restaurant.
Roth said IKEA tries to open three to five stores per year in North America, and about 20 per year globally.