If anywhere needed a shot in the arm, then surely San Francisco was the place.
Far from California dreaming, the famous city on the bay has witnessed an astonishing nightmare desertion of its downtown by retailers and major landlord Westfield in recent months amid recriminations over safety, homelessness and drug taking on its famous streets.
But amid fears of a doom loop, some crumbs of comfort have been offered from two very different directions.
First Tesla
TSLA
And then Swedish home furnishings retail giant Ikea confirmed that it will open its long awaited mixed use center on Market Street in downtown San Francisco on Wednesday August 23.
The store will be the anchor of a new ‘meeting place’ concept from Ingka Centres, the global development arm of Ingka Group, the parent of the retail and real estate group.
And Ikea is pledging to invest in the city, the local labor force and the revitalization of downtown after a torrid 12 months after Ingka Centres acquired the never-occupied 6×6 Building, as it was originally known, in September 2020 for $198 million.
Ikea New San Francisco Store
Ikea is set to become thee first retailer to open within the building, bringing its city format which will feature more than 52,000 sq. ft. of space spread over three levels, including 27 fully furnished room settings designed to showcase the company’s urban living concepts.
In-store, customers will be able to purchase and take home a range of 2,500 smaller home furnishing accessories and special collection items that will focus on affordability, sustainability and small-space living.
Larger furniture items such as sofas, bookshelves, beds and office sets will be available to order for home delivery along with the entire range of Ikea products. TaskRabbit has partnered with Lugg to deliver items the same or next day from the store.
The new Ikea store will also offer the retailer’s circular economy initiative, enabling customers to sell select Ikea furniture products back to the retailer in return for store credit. The furniture will then be offered for resale through the store’s As-Is section.
Ikea Pledges To City
Announcing the launch date, Miia Kautovaara, Ingka Centres meeting place manager in San Francisco, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Ikea at our future meeting place with its first city store in San Francisco. Together with Ikea we will play our part and contribute to revitalizing Market Street, and the neighborhood by creating an appealing meeting place for the local communities.”
Ingka Centres recently announced further plans for the mixed use meeting place, which will soon also offer visitors a flexible co-working space, a food hall, two delis and a multipurpose space.
It has partnered with New York-based flexible workplace company Industrious to launch Hej!Workshop, a flexible co-working concept which is set to open its doors early 2024.
Hej!Workshop, first launched in Ingka Centres’ meeting place in Stockholm in 2022 and is a workspace model that “embraces Swedish values of better affordability, sustainability, and overall well-being” according to the company.
Members will also have an opportunity to personalize their workplace and Industrious will operate the location as part of its global workplace platform, which includes over 160 locations across 65 markets.
The co-working space will occupy 46,470 sq. ft. within the 250,000 sq. ft. San Francisco meeting place.
Embattled San Francisco Mayor London Breed, who had been pitching for the company to come to San Francisco since 2018, said Ikea’s arrival represented “a tremendous boost.”
Ikea has been in the San Francisco area since 2000, with a large format location in Emeryville, plus East Palo Alto.
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