Oh no! IKEA is not coming to Cary after all
IKEA is not coming to Cary after all, Town Manager Sean R. Stegall said Wednesday.
“On Friday morning I spoke with IKEA’s Real Estate Manager Bob Grimsley who shared that, because of IKEA’s evolving business model, there will be no store in Cary. They are moving away from suburban big box retail outlets and into global city centers. We are obviously very disappointed," Stegall said in a statement.
Stegall said that IKEA CEO Jesper Brodin has been sharing details of the company’s new direction to bring more operations online, and push into new markets like India and South America. The company also plans to develop smaller city center store formats in places like London and Tokyo.
"When I asked whether there was anything Cary could do to influence IKEA’s decision, I was told that there was nothing; not even an incentive would make a difference. IKEA said they had an extremely positive view of and experience with the Town Council, our staff, the mall site, and Cary as a whole," the statement said.
A spokesperson with IKEA said that over the last year, the company has been on "a journey to expand our multi-channel shopping experience with new retail locations, enhanced technology and greater accessibility to meet today’s customers where they are in today’s fast-changing retail environment."
As part of the journey, the company had to re-evaluate some of the upcoming expansion project, Latisha Bracy said.
"While this is an extremely difficult decision, we will not be moving forward with our plans to build a store in Cary. We appreciate the outpouring of support and excitement that our fans have expressed, and we are disappointed that we will not be able to physically join the vibrant Cary community," she said in a statement.
Stegall said he is thankful the decision came before the store was built and people were employed there. He said the timing also gives mall owners, CBL, an opportunity to look at the site and the future of the area.
"It was going to bea boom for our community and it was going to really help revitalize Cary Towne Center, so to find out they were not coming was very disappointing," said Councilman Don Frantz. "It’s a highly desirable site so we’re not worried about it redeveloping, we’re just gonna make sure that what does come in meets our community’s high standards.”
Stacey Keating, a spokesperson for Cary Towne Center said officials there are also disappointed by the news.
"IKEA was an important component of our multi-phase plans to redevelop Cary Towne Center into a vibrant mixed-use center," Keating said.
Nick Onder, who works in Cary Towne Center, said he is nervous about the future of the mall.
"I work in this mall, I’d like it to do well, but I can’t really say that it looks like it. If IKEA has pulled out, I can’t really say that it looks like it will be here much longer," he said. "I’m just in shock right now I was really hoping that was going to spur this area."
The plan to build an IKEA in Cary officially got the green light on Oct. 26 following a unanimous vote by the Town Council.
Cary Town Council members approved the proposal to build what was supposed to be a 380,000-square-foot store on 20 acres of land near Cary Towne Center. Groundbreaking was set for 2019, and the store was expected to open as early as summer 2020. The space was supposed to include warehouse space as well as retail showrooms.
