FISHERS, Ind. -- The new IKEA in Fishers is so large that five professional football fields could be fit inside.
Although no football is actually going to be played – you’ll definitely get a workout when you stop in for a visit.
If you’re an IKEA familiar, you know how large the showrooms can be and just how easy it is to lose track of time while you shop, and this store won't be any different!
We got a sneak-peek tour of crews assembling the pieces as they prepare for their October 11 grand opening.
The Tour
As you enter the store, the first thing you’ll find is a supervised play area for children. Here, parents can leave their kids to play while they wander the store. Don’t worry parents – they’ll have pagers!
Just past the play area is where the model rooms begin. IKEA features dozens of model rooms allowing customers to see the furniture in use and “try it out” before they even take it home. You’ll find bedrooms, kitchens, living rooms and more all set up and ready for a test run.
Tables, chairs, desks, vanities, even cabinets are all being pre-built right now to be put on display so you can see exactly what you’re purchasing.
PHOTOS | A look inside the FishersIKEA
The store will feature more than 10,000 items, 50 room settings and three model home interiors – all put together by IKEA employees.
Think about how long it takes you to put together an IKEA chair – times that by a couple of thousand pieces and you can only imagine the work that’s being done!
Unlike other IKEA locations in the Midwest – like Chicago and Ohio – the Fishers store will be only one story, instead of two or three.
That’s almost 300,000 square feet – all on one level.
To give you some perspective our walk-through tour took 19 minutes and about 2,500 Fitbit-counted steps, and that was just following the walk-way through the store!
If you’re worried about the size – don’t be – the store manager, Holly Davidson, said there will be plenty of “shortcuts” if you’re looking for a particular item. The food court is also conveniently placed about halfway through, offering the perfect chance to grab some Swedish meatballs and take a load off before you make your way through the rest of the store.
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The 325 seat restaurant will offer three types of their famous meatballs – traditional, chicken and vegetable.
The restaurant will also have a separate entrance and open 30 minutes before the main store so shoppers can get their breakfast before they shop. And with their $2, $3 and $4 value meals, who could resist?
Once you’ve picked out your large furniture pieces and you’ve sat down for a snack – the next few rooms feature any and all furnishing items you could ever imagine.
From rugs and furry pillows – to dog accessories - IKEA thought of everything.
Fill your cart with accessories before you head out to pick up your furniture in the warehouse that leads you straight to the checkout and out the door with your new furniture. Whew!
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Grand Opening
The grand opening for IKEA’s 45th North American store will be Wednesday, October 11 at 9 a.m.
IKEA is known for holding “camp-outs” ahead of their grand openings, and the Fishers store will be no different. Customers can begin camping outside the store 48 hours before the doors open. Davidson says they will provide live entertainment and food will be available as well for those who are camping out.
The Swedish furniture retailer hasn’t announced what they will be giving away, but Davidson says it will be similar to the giveaways at their previous grand openings.
At the opening of IKEA’s 44th store, the first 44 customers got couches, and the next 100 in line took home free chairs.
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Want to work at IKEA?
The company plans to hire 300 people for their Fishers store, and Davidson said they have filled about 60 percent of those positions so far. Some areas that still have openings include customer service, cashiers and food service. Anyone interested in applying for a position can fill out an application online.
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