Ikea to open its second Virginia store in Norfolk

Hampton Roads Ikea customers soon won’t have to trek to the retailer’s Woodbridge store to shop.

The Swedish company will open its 331,000-square-foot Norfolk store on April 10.  The store will be Ikea’s second in Virginia and 50th in the U.S.

Ikea sells ready-to-assemble furniture, kitchen appliances and home accessories.

The company chose to open a store in Norfolk because of its potential customer base. “We already have 35,000 customers in the region,” says Michelle Stephenson, the retailer’s loyalty manager. “Ikea is a destination and regularly draws customers from hours away. We believe that our regional draw will enhance the I-64 retail corridor.”

The Norfolk store, which broke ground in 2017, sits on 19 acres on the northwestern corner of Interstate 64 and Northampton Boulevard. “It has good visibility and access from the highway,” says Stephenson. “It is reachable from many points throughout the area.”

Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Cooper Alexander agrees that Ikea will help attract people to the city. “Visitors are drawn to Norfolk for its concentration of arts and culture, recreation, business and job opportunities,” he says. “Ikea’s visibility from the interstate on the way to and from these major attractions will bring attention to the region’s most notable features.”

The Norfolk store will employ about 250 workers in a mix of full- and part-time positions. “We will also be bringing on another 150 temporary positions to support during grand opening,” Stephenson says.

The new store falls within the average range of most Ikea stores — 250,000 to 400,000 square feet. By comparison, Ikea’s Woodbridge store is 325,000 square feet. The Norfolk store will offer nearly 10,000 items as well as a 354-seat restaurant serving Swedish and American fare.

The store’s roof features a 180,000-square-foot solar array consisting of 3,654 panels. It will produce 1.26 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 215 homes while helping to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

“It is the largest solar rooftop array in Hampton Roads,” Stephenson says.