IKEA's stylish furniture that's sometimes difficult to assemble is now available a little closer to home for those in Windsor-Essex.
The company's fifth Canadian pick-up location opened Monday at 10am on Walker Rd., at the old Future Shop location.
IKEA Windsor grand opening, April 4, 2016. (Photo by Jason Viau)
It employs 31 people and carries hundreds of items you can purchase in-store from pillows and plates to bedding and blankets.
IKEA Canada President Stefan Sjostrand wouldn't say if this store's success could mean a full-scale IKEA in Windsor's future.
"It could be either or. I think it's not saying that it's going to be a store in the future, it could be that we decide that this is a perfect location to alway have a pick-up and order point," Sjostrand says.
BlackburnNews.com file photo of IKEA Canada President Stefan Sjostrand. (Photo by Jason Viau)
"And then later on we will look into the market. We have said recently that will open up 12 more stores across Canada."
Customers can order online or in-store and have items shipped to the pick-up point for $20. Previously customers would pay a $99 flat rate and have it shipped from the Burlington store to their house.
Despite some online criticism , Sjostrand says that $20 pick-up charge is here to stay. In essence, he says, you could order a full IKEA kitchen and have it shipped to the store in three days for $20.
"If the customer wants to have zero, they are welcome to come to our stores and they can do the job by themselves," he says. "But when we help the customer to pick their order, we are not doing that for free. We hope that the customers have an understanding of that way of thinking."
Windsor's IKEA is about 10% the size of the typical store, therefore a cafeteria with their famous Swedish meatballs, cinnamon rolls or desserts isn't in the mix.
