IKEA Formally Presents Plan for Cary Store

Cary, NC – The possibility of IKEA in Cary has been a long time discussion in the town. But now, the international furniture and accessory retailer has presented its plan for a potential store in the Triangle.

IKEA in Cary

The proposal for an IKEA store submitted to the Town of Cary shows it going in next to Cary Towne Center, replacing the Macy’s and Sears that are currently closed.

Joseph Roth with Property and Expansion Public Affairs for IKEA said the company had looked at the Triangle for a long time but had not committed to any plans because it does not fit their usual location needs.

“IKEA is known for being a large store that needs a lot of land and has frontage with the highway. It’s hard to get that in the Triangle and you have trees and hills blocking the frontage view,” Roth said.

But Roth said it is difficult to find locations that work and the Triangle is large enough to support a store both commercially and in terms of land. So with the central location of Cary Towne Center, Roth said they will make it work.

“It’s a small, tight fit for IKEA but we hope it will do well,” Roth said.

IKEA’s proposal is for a 15-acre site. Because this location does not fit the typical land requirements for the store, Roth said they did not have plans for IKEA in the Triangle until they recently got approval to proceed from the store’s Swedish headquarters.

“Any rumors until then were before we had any plans,” Roth said.

Destination Retail

Cary Towne Center, or specifically its owners CBL & Associates Properties, asked the Town of Cary for a rezoning in March, affecting the same spot where IKEA is planning to open.

This rezoning proposal saw the Sears and Macy’s removed and replaced by three buildings, as well as the construction of a parking deck. In IKEA’s proposal, there is a two-level parking structure but only one large building instead of three smaller ones.

“CBL was preceding with the rezoning regardless of whether we were coming,” Roth said.

He added there is room for CBL’s proposed rezoning to be changed going forward to reflect this different design.

The only other IKEA in North Carolina is located in Charlotte so for those not familiar, Roth said the product offering in the store is unique to other furniture retailers.

“We design our own products to have a focus on good function, good design and good affordability,” he said.

The store carries accessories for the home as well as furniture and inventory is done daily so all products are available same-day. There is also space for children to play while parents and guardians shop and as a Swedish company, there is a variety of traditional Swedish food available both for home use and from an in-store restaurant.

If approved, IKEA could open in Cary as early as Summer 2020.

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Story by Michael Papich. Photos by Michael Papich and IKEA.