First Ikea Miami-Dade Store to open AUG. 27 in Sweetwater

Update: August 26, 2014

Apparently, dozens of people have set up camp outside of the brand new Ikea Miami store waiting for the official opening on Wednesday and the chance to be the first customers.

Ikea Miami will give the first 39 adults a free EKTORP three-seat sofa. The next 100 adults in line will receive a free POÄNG armchair; and the first 100 children will receive a free FAMNIG heart-shaped soft toy.

Those anxious customers in line are excited to receive their free gifts and can’t wait to tour the new 416,000 square-foot store.

Community Newspapers was invited to attend Media Day at the brand new Ikea Miami store in Sweetwater. We had the opportunity to meet the wonderful coworkers and leadership of Ikea Miami. Their opening week is filled with great giveaways and surprises for our community.

During Media Day, we had the pleasure of enjoying the famous Swedish dishes that Ikea offers at the Marketplace. From their world famous Swedish meatballs to their variety of fresh salmon and their delicious sweets, it was an amazing meal that we definitely recommend.

             Exclusive Media Day Event

At this exclusive Media Day Event, we had the chance to meet some of the leaders of Ikea Miami. Claudia Lascano, Marketing Manager, gave us all the details for their opening week and the fun events taking place leading to the Grand Opening next Wednesday. The  Store Manager, Selwyn Crittendon, not only shared the impact the store has had and will have in our local communities but also gave us a private tour of this wonderful store.

Showroom

The showroom features the newest designs and exclusive items only in the Miami store. Ikea Miami offers amazing inspirational room settings and styles for every setting and taste. We are very excited to welcome Ikea to our community and look forward to showcasing their positive impact.

IKEA MIAMI TO OFFER SWEDISH FOOD, FUN & FURNISHINGS WHEN FIRST MIAMI-DADE IKEA STORE OPENS AUGUST 27 IN SWEETWATER, FLORIDA

Sweetwater, FL, August 20, 2014 – IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings retailer, today announced that when its first Miami-Dade store opens in Sweetwater, FL on August 27, it will recognize loyal, enthusiastic customers by giving away thousands of dollars in gift cards and merchandise – including an iconic EKTORP sofa for each of the first 39 adults in line, and a POANG armchair for the next 100 visitors. Other highlights include a free mattress for the first 39 on Thursday, August 28 and free weekly meatball meals for the year to the first 39 on Friday, August 29. (Customers may begin lining up on 9 a.m. EDT on Monday, August 25 – 48 hours before the store’s opening at 9 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, August 27.) Also, Sweetwater Mayor Jose M. Diaz and IKEA U.S. CFO Rob Olson will join store manager Selwyn Crittendon in the official opening of the new store.

IKEA Miami is the Swedish company’s 2nd store and restaurant destination in South Florida, 4th in the state, 39th in the United States, and 361st worldwide. (Florida’s first IKEA store opened in the Broward County city of Sunrise in 2007, followed by one store each in Orlando and Tampa.) The 416,000-square-foot IKEA Miami was built on 14.6 acres adjacent to Dolphin Mall, near both the Dolphin Expressway (SR 836) and Florida’s Turnpike, in the City of Sweetwater. The store employs more than 350 coworkers and features 10,000 exclusively-designed items, a 600-seat IKEA Restaurant, 44 inspirational room settings, three model home interiors, a supervised children’s play area and approximately 1,500 parking spaces. Reflecting the company’s solar presence atop 90% of its U.S. locations, IKEA installed South Florida’s largest rooftop solar array at IKEA Miami.

The August 27 ceremony also will include Miami-Dade County Deputy Mayor Jack Osterholt raising the U.S. flag, Honorary Swedish Vice-Consul for South Florida Katri Olander raising the Swedish flag and Miami-Dade District 12 Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz raising the state flag of Florida. Entertainment for customers waiting in line will begin at 6 a.m. EDT. “Just as our store will bring the unique IKEA family-friendly shopping experience to Miami-Dade County, we strive to ensure that waiting in line to visit IKEA Miami will be an exciting and memorable event,” said Selwyn Crittendon, store manager. Visitors will have many opportunities to benefit from IKEA Miami’s grand opening.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

  Rest Assured – The first 39 adults (18 and older) in line for the IKEA Miami grand opening on August 27, 2014 will receive a free EKTORP three-seat sofa, honoring our new 39th U.S. store.

  Take a Seat (And We Mean Take It!) – The next 100 adults (18 and older) in line at the IKEA Miami grand opening on August 27, 2014 will receive a free POÄNG armchair.

  For the (Truly) Young at Heart – The first 100 children (younger than 18) in line at IKEA Miami’s grand opening on August 27, 2014 will receive a free FAMNIG heart-shaped soft toy.

  Pick a Card, Any Card – The first 2,500 adults (18 and older) to visit IKEA Miami on August 27, 2014 will receive a random prize envelope with IKEA Gift Cards ranging from $10 to $250, or a “Buy One, Get One Free” cinnamon bun, hotdog or frozen yogurt voucher.

  Happy Birthday to You and Us – Visitors bringing proof to IKEA Miami on August 27, 2014 that their birthday is the same as the store’s can receive a gift card in the amount of $30.50, a tie-in with the prominent Miami-Dade area code.

  Enter our Home, Enter to Win – From August 27 through August 31, 2014, visitors to IKEA Miami may enter a drawing to win one of ten $450 IKEA Gift Cards through the IKEA FAMILY loyalty program. IKEA is matching more than twice the amount of those prizes (a total of $10,000 per organization) with a donation to National YoungArts Foundation, a group that identifies and supports the next generation of visual, literary, performing and design artists, and Amigos for Kids, a Miami organization committed to child abuse prevention and awareness.

– more –

Thursday, August 28, 2014

  Sleep Like Royalty – The first 39 adults (18 and older) in IKEA Miami on Thursday, August 28, 2014 will receive a free queen-sized SULTAN HALLEN mattress.

  Take it Easy – The next 100 adults (18 and older) in IKEA Miami on Thursday, August 28, 2014 will receive free home delivery for their purchases on that day. 
Friday, August 29, 2014

  Meatballs for a Year – The first 39 adults (one per immediate family) in IKEA Miami on Friday, August 29, 2014 will receive a voucher for the equivalent of a weekly meatball meal for a family of four at IKEA Miami’s Restaurant through next year, expiring on August 21, 2015.

  Swedish Food Shopping Spree – The next 100 adults (18 or older) in IKEA Miami on Friday, August 29, 2014 will receive an IKEA Food tote bag and a voucher to fill the bag up with whatever they want from IKEA Miami’s Swedish Food market.

  A Cold Sweet-ish Treat – The first 305 visitors in IKEA Miami on Friday, August 29, 2014 will receive a voucher for a soft-serve frozen yogurt available that day at IKEA Miami’s Exit Bistro.

  Kids Eat Free – Children 12 & under can eat for free at IKEA Miami on Friday, August 29, 2014. Wednesday, August 27 – Monday, September 1, 2014

 Play Big If You’re Little – Face-painting for kids, caricature artists, music and entertainment

will enhance the family-friendly fun at IKEA Miami from August 27 through September 1, 2014.

ADDITIONAL OFFERS AT IKEA MIAMI

IKEA Miami is a fun day out for the family with:

  Småland, a supervised children’s play area (for children 37”-54” in height) that replicates the look of a typical Swedish farmhouse and forest;

  Additional play areas throughout the store, offering activities for kids shopping with parents;

  A “Children’s IKEA” area in the Showroom that also offers fun, interactive play; and

  Attention-to-detail amenities such as family-friendly parking, strollers and baby care rooms. 
No shopping on an empty stomach at IKEA Miami because:

  The IKEA Restaurant opens 30 minutes earlier than the store for a full hot breakfast, including scrambled eggs, potatoes and bacon for only 99¢.

  The 600-seat restaurant also offers lunch, dinner, snacks and dessert, with a diverse menu, including traditional Swedish specialties such as the popular IKEA Swedish meatballs, seafood plates, pasta, chicken, salads, sandwiches, as well as vegetarian dishes too.

  Menu choices for kids include a child’s portion of Swedish meatballs or macaroni and cheese, while baby food and bibs are available for even younger visitors.

  A Bistro near the store’s exit serves hot dogs, cinnamon buns, frozen yogurt and beverages.

  The Swedish Foodmarket offers Swedish delicacies, snacks and treats, and even frozen Swedish 
meatballs (the same ones used in the Restaurant) to purchase and then prepare at home. 
IKEA Miami shopping conveniences include:

  Free design appointments with a furnishings consultant;

  IKEA catalogs, measuring tape, pencils, store maps, yellow shopping bags and 3 types of carts;

  Same-day shopping satisfaction with products in easy-to-transport flat-pack boxes that benefit the 
customer and the environment;

  26 checkouts to ensure efficient customer purchasing; and

  Warehouse picking, home-delivery, assembly, and kitchen planning and installation services. 
The 2015 IKEA Catalog has arrived – themed “Where the Everyday Begins and Ends”

 This catalog highlights products for where people sleep and get ready every morning and night – the bedroom and the bathroom. IKEA Miami will have copies for customers who want one.

When IKEA Miami opens, there will be 361 IKEA stores in 45 countries, including 39 in the U.S. Since its 1943 founding in Sweden, IKEA has offered home furnishings of good design and function, at low prices so the majority of people can afford them. IKEA incorporates sustainability into day-to-day business and supports initiatives that benefit children and the environment. For more information see IKEA-USA.com, @IKEAUSANews, @DesignByIKEA or IKEAUSA on Facebook, Youtube, Instagram and Pinterest.

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