Swedish home-furnishings giant Ikea is on the move and an opening date has been set for the new Barrie location.
After two years at Georgian Mall, the company’s local “design studio” is set to relocate to its new home at 33 Mapleview Dr. W., in Barrie’s south end, later this month.
The new space, which will be similar to the design studio that opened inside Georgian Mall in March 2022, will continue to meet the "growing demand for this personalized service," which is referred to as its plan and order point network, and will open to customers on Friday, June 28.
This location will replace the current, short-term Ikea Barrie planning studio at the city’s north-end mall, and will continue to offer personalized design services and home furnishing expertise to Barrie residents and the surrounding community, according to company officials.
Ikea says its plan and order points offer walk-in and appointment-based planning services where customers can sit down with an Ikea representative to plan "complex purchases," such as kitchen or bedroom storage projects.
Although products are not available for immediate takeaway at plan-and-order points, customers can "explore and discover a curated selection of Ikea solutions to meet their home furnishing needs."
Once a customer's order is placed, they can have it delivered directly to their homes or to the Barrie pick-up location, which recently lowered its flat-rate shipping fee to $19 from $29.
“After seeing such a positive response to Ikea from the Barrie community, we’re thrilled to expand this customized service and further elevate the experience of helping customers create the spaces of their dreams that meet their evolving needs at home,” said Inna Romagnoli, country business development and transformation manager, Ikea Canada.
“As the cost of living continues to rise and everything from groceries to gas becomes less affordable, it has become our priority to offer more affordable, functional and inspiring home furnishing solutions to Canadians — no matter where they live or how they choose to shop with us," Romagnoli added.
The closest full Ikea store to Barrie is located in Vaughan.
