Knoxville shoppers are desperate for IKEA. Why it's a longshot for East Tennessee
Do you dream of assembling a brand-new office desk while chowing down on some Swedish meatballs?
IKEA is planning to open eight new stores in the U.S.. Is Knoxville on IKEA's shortlist? It's a longshot, but that doesn't stop our shoppers from clamoring for one of the massive stores known for its assemble-yourself furniture.
But there's potential for something smaller! IKEA also plans to open nine plan-and-order stores – smaller locations dedicated to designing your bedrooms and bathrooms – and 900 pickup points.
The furniture giant plans to expand in new and familiar markets, Javier Quiñones, CEO and chief sustainability officer of IKEA U.S., told USA TODAY in April.
There is only one IKEA in Tennessee, located in the Memphis metro area. There is also a pickup point in Nashville.
The closest store to Knoxville is about 200 miles away in Atlanta.
While Nashville should be a top candidate for a big store, Knoxville could be a good candidate for one of those 900 pickup points.
More: As IKEA plans to open more US stores, here are some tips on how to save on your next visit
Why Knoxville won't get an IKEA
Is Knoxville's population big enough? Probably not, given that there's another Tennessee city that's bigger and doesn't have a full store.
Cities with IKEA stores and even pickup points tend to be large metro centers.
Nashville would be a likely candidate for a full store. Like Knoxville, it has experienced a lot of growth in recent years, it's along Interstate 40 and it is home to plenty of college students.
The Music City has a pickup location, but it's not uncommon for major metros to have a store, too. Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Los Angeles are just three examples.
Tempe, Arizona, has an IKEA, and it has about 8,000 fewer residents than Knoxville and is home to Arizona State University. But, it's just east of Phoenix, so there's a much larger population nearby to attract. It's also the only location in Arizona, and the next closest location is 300 miles away in Las Vegas.
Knoxville has three stores within 275 miles: Atlanta, Charlotte and Cincinnati.
But IKEA might like Knoxville's growing population
Dr. Michelle Lynn Childs, associate professor at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville who specializes in retail, hospitality and tourism management, said Knoxville's growing population could make it an attractive destination for IKEA.
By 2040, Knox County expects to have about 557,000 residents, a 16% increase from 2020.
People moving here, including a record number of University of Tennessee students, need furniture. UT is seeing rising application and retention rates and is planning for enrollment increases through at least 2031.
Brand familiarity also is appealing to an international company like IKEA.
"Knoxville residents oftentimes would travel to the nearest IKEA, and there have been businesses built around IKEA deliveries, so Knoxville consumers are familiar with the brand and products," Childs told Knoxville in an email. "The large student body also need inexpensive temporary furniture, so IKEA is ideal for this."
If Knoxville were selected by IKEA, Childs guessed it would look west for proximity to big box retailers and visibility from Interstate 40.
Finding a property that's large enough for a massive warehouse and accessible to customers would be a challenge in Knoxville, Childs said. The Memphis IKEA is more than 270,000 square feet. For context, the Knoxville warehouse intended for Amazon is 219,000 square feet.
Silas Sloan is the growth and development reporter. Email silas.sloan@knoxnews.com. Twitter @silasloan. Instagram @knox.growth.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Could Knoxville get IKEA store? Another Tennessee city could
