IKEA is charging full steam ahead this year in opening more of its smaller stores, known as its “Plan and Order Point” prototype. These new stores occupy spaces that can be as small as 3,000 s.f. and no larger than 15,000 s.f. because they act solely as showrooms — without any carryout merchandise — for customers looking to redesign their kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. The smaller unit allows IKEA to situate stores in more convenient locations where the bulk of its customers do their errand shopping, such as in inline or end cap units in regional malls, lifestyle centers or power centers within 20 to 30 miles from a major metro. Conversely, traditional IKEA stores, which can be up to 500,000 s.f., are generally placed on the far outskirts of major metros —40 to 60 miles from a city center.
The new Plan and Order Point prototype differs slightly from the Planning Studio prototypes that rolled out three years ago. Planning Studio is primarily geared toward shoppers who are living in and need to furnish smaller urban residences such as studio apartments and condominiums. Plan and Order Point stores instead cater to those shoppers needing furnishing and design advice for their single-family home renovation and decorating needs. These shoppers appreciate the ease of a Plan and Order Point IKEA store in their local neighborhood that doesn’t require them to commute to and spend hours at a larger IKEA store. Customers can simply walk in and view the products in display rooms, receive design assistance from an IKEA specialist, and order items for future delivery either to the store or to their place of residence.
These Plan and Order Point stores first began appearing in the U.S. in 2023, with a 5,012-s.f. store in Pentagon City, Va., in August, a 10,809-s.f. store in Southlake, Texas, in November, and a 4,458-s.f. store in Fairfax, Va., in December. In 2024, two new Plan and Order Point stores have already opened: a 5,355-s.f. unit in Katy, Texas, that debuted in February, and an 8,882-s.f. unit in Gaithersburg, Md., that had its grand opening in March. At least six more are expected to open this year; by mid-spring there will be a 3,219-s.f. unit in Annapolis, Md., and this summer will see a 15,000-s.f. unit in Charlotte, N.C., a 5,000-s.f. unit Austin, and a 4,306-s.f. unit in Alpharetta, Ga. Plus, two additional units are anticipated to open by late 2024 in the greater Los Angeles area.
