IKEA Relocates from Bolingbrook to Naperville with New Concept Store
IKEA is set to close its Bolingbrook store and relocate to Naperville’s Block 59 development. The decision highlights the retailer’s adaptation to customer lifestyles along the Bolingbrook-Naperville corridor. Sam Gravina, the Chicago metro market manager for IKEA, explained that the new location aims to service the expanding population while remaining accessible to existing customers.
The Bolingbrook store, occupying 317,000 square feet, will remain open until late 2027. The upcoming Naperville store, expected to open at the same time, will be merely eight miles away from the existing store, close to the Boughton Road exit off Interstate 355.
Naperville’s new IKEA will feature a smaller format, a departure from the large stores IKEA is known for. Gravina did not disclose the exact dimensions or product offerings. However, he stated the store will provide inspiration and functionality, tailored to reflect the local community’s unique needs and lifestyles. The new store will complement IKEA’s 450,000-square-foot flagship in Schaumburg, roughly a 30-minute drive from Naperville.
Despite being smaller than the Bolingbrook and Schaumburg stores, the Naperville location will include a Swedish Deli and Swedish Food Market, maintaining the company’s tradition of offering its iconic meatballs. Gravina noted that similar small-format stores are opening nationwide, providing easier access for customers in key markets. One such store is planned for Gurnee, Illinois, with a projected size of about 66,000 square feet and anticipated revenue benefits for the local village.
Beyond Illinois, IKEA continues to test small-format stores elsewhere, including recent openings in California and Arizona. Nonetheless, not all have succeeded. The company plans to shut down a unsuccessful store in San Marcos, Texas, and three other stores in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
In Naperville, this new store may bolster sales in the home goods and furniture sector, an area lagging according to Mayor Scott Wehrli. Naperville recorded $257 million in furniture and electronic sales last year, a 30.3% rise from 2024. Yet, it still trails Glenview and Schaumburg.
The June Naperville City Council meeting highlighted efforts to attract retailers, with Brixmor Property Group securing a $1.85 million tax incentive for a home goods retailer in the Block 59 Business District. The district was established in 2023 to encourage redevelopment of local properties. While unconfirmed, there’s speculation that IKEA might be linked to this incentive. Brixmor has been reshuffling businesses to make room for the new retailer, moving tenants like Discovery Clothing Co. and Going, Going, Gone!