IKEA Canada will open its new design studio inside Devonshire Mall on Thursday.
The new store allows customers to design and order home furnishing systems for their kitchen, bath, bedroom, laundry and living rooms.
A ribbon cutting ceremony with mall and municipal officials is scheduled for 10 am
“We are very excited to have everybody come and check it out,” says store Manager Sandra Maksimovic. “Nothing here is a pick-up and carry out the store so you can purchase the items here, we can order them for you, we are here to help out with that process.”
Maksimovic explains the IKEA Design studio is much smaller than a traditional Ikea store, noting professionally trained staff assist customers through the design process. “We do have some displays in here, so yes, customers should probably come in here and take a look around for themselves,” she says.
Inside Windsor’s new IKEA design studio at Devonshire Mall, March 23, 2022. (Chris Campbell/CTV News)The shop keep notes appointments for one-on-one planning sessions with a design expert are encouraged, though walk-in customers can be accommodated.
Maksimovic explains customers can also use self-service planning stations.
“We have countertops, we have the doors, different types of kitchens, wardrobes, so let them come in and speak for themselves.”
Devonshire Mall General Manager Chris Savard tells CTV News the new store opening means a new chapter at the mall, noting there has been plenty of shopper interest for an IKEA since the pick-up and order point location on Walker Road closed in early 2020.
“Obviously anytime we can add a new tenant to the mix we’re pretty excited here at Devonshire,” says Savard. “We get a lot of requests for this use.”
Savard says talks about what will replace the former Sears store have also resumed since the COVID-19 Vaccination Center readies to close this weekend.
“We’re always open to suggestions in terms of what could be could be available. Obviously we’ve sat on the Sears box a little bit longer than we had hoped but COVID kind of slowed a lot of plans for a lot of people including us.”
IKEA Design Studio Store Manager Sandra Maksimovic, March 23, 2022. (Chris Campbell/CTV News)Savard believes there are plenty of options for what could be, but won’t disclose who current talks are with.
“We’re talking to some pretty cool retailers and some really neat first-to-market offerings to Windsor, so we’re excited that there’s some very good potential stuff there.”
Savard adds, “I think if you’re going to make an investment and be in Windsor, we’d like to think this is the place you want to be.”
IKEA officials say their ambition is to become more accessible to Ontario residents by bringing the business closer to them and offering new and convenient services that meet evolving demands.
“We’re testing it everywhere else and it has been taken off so Windsor needs it.” Maksimovic says despite the pick-up location closure in 2020, “The sky is the limit” for future expansion if things go well at the mall design studio.
“We just had to, you know, take a step back and revalue and this is our new baby, this is our new project, and we will see how it goes,” she explains.