IKEA Opens Compact Sarasota Store Nov. 18

IKEA will open its sixth Florida store in Sarasota on Nov. 18, marking a shift away from the company's traditional big-box model. The new location at University Town Center will be significantly smaller than its peers, forcing a change in how customers shop for furniture and home goods in the region.

The store occupies approximately 48,000 square feet at 147 N. Cattlemen Road. For comparison, standard IKEA locations typically span around 300,000 square feet. The company initially planned for a late-summer opening after announcing its intent to build the store in April, but the final date arrived in mid-November.

Operations will begin at 10 a.m. on Nov. 18, with the store closing at 8 p.m. Starting Nov. 19, regular business hours will be 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. The layout differs from traditional stores because it lacks a self-service furniture warehouse. Instead, customers can pick up over 3,000 items immediately, including accessories, lighting, textiles, and more than 100 smaller furniture pieces.

Larger items such as sofas and beds will be available for order through in-store or online channels. Customers can choose pickup or home delivery for these pieces. A central planning area will provide one-on-one consultations for kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, and small-space living solutions. Furnished room settings will be available for shoppers to view for design inspiration.

Rob Olson, interim CEO of IKEA U.S., stated that the new store aims to make affordable, well-designed home furnishings easier to access. He noted that the Sarasota location builds on efforts to meet customers where they are. The store also features a Swedish Bite counter serving meatballs, plant balls, hot dogs, veggie dogs, and cinnamon buns, with some items available for takeout.

An As-Is section will sell gently used and discontinued products at reduced prices. To encourage early visits, IKEA is promoting Black Friday deals through Nov. 24. Discounts include 30 percent off sectionals and sofas, up to 20 percent off select dining tables, and 20 percent off select dinnerware.

IKEA already operates stores in Tampa, Miami, Orlando, Jacksonville, and Sunrise. The company also maintains smaller plan-and-order points at select Best Buy locations in Lakeland, Boynton Beach, Waterford Lakes, Daytona Beach, and Melbourne.