- April 17, 2026
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When global furniture retailer Ikea revealed its plan to open a new store in Sarasota this summer, it made a move that one commercial real estate broker calls “huge” for the region.
“To have Ikea come here, it’s huge for commercial real estate,” says Adam Seidel, broker associate at commercial real estate firm American Property Group in Sarasota, who was not associated with the deal but provided context on it for the Business Observer. “It’s going to be a huge driver for bringing more brands and increasing value," since Ikea is "one of the major brands that when another major brand is looking at an area, it is on the short list.”
The Sarasota Ikea will be 48,000 square feet — on Cattlemen Road between DSW and Golf Galaxy near Target and REI — in the University Town Center shopping district. It will have a smaller footprint than the traditional big-box Ikea store, which spans about 300,000 square feet.
Says Seidel: “It’s very telling that they’re willing to open a store, no matter the size.”
The company selects all its locations following “extensive market research,” according to Ikea Tampa Market Manager Laetitia Gouverneur.
“Ikea chose Sarasota because it’s a vibrant, fast-growing community,” Gouverneur says in an email response to questions from the Business Observer. “The population growth in the metro area is nearly two times the national average. Also, University Town Center is a major regional shopping destination offering excellent visibility, easy access from Interstate 75 and a dynamic mix of retailers that complement Ikea well.”
Ikea is targeting a late summer opening at UTC, which is home to more than 200 retailers. The shopping district is owned and managed by east Manatee County-based Benderson Development, which declined to comment for this article.
The new Ikea — the address is 147 N. Cattlemen Road — will be among a growing number of Ikea stores in the country with a smaller footprint than traditional Ikea locations. Currently, the company has eight small-format stores in the U.S, according to Gouverneur, who says seven more are in the works.
Opening smaller stores is part of the Swedish brand’s corporate strategy to meet customers where they are. It initially announced plans to introduce smaller stores in the U.S. in 2024, to increase access and be more sustainable.
“Moving into existing retail locations is part of our strategy, which helps us move with speed, test and try new formats, while also decreasing our environmental impact as compared to new construction,” Gouverneur says.
The space where Ikea is going at UTC once housed the Christmas Tree Shops and was a temporary home for Rugs As Art after its Sarasota headquarters on US 41 was hit by the 2024 hurricanes.
As of April 17, crews were working on the facade for the new Ikea. The company declined to offer details about planned renovations.
When it opens, the Sarasota Ikea will have 5,000 items on display, with 3,000 available for immediate takeaway. Larger items like sofas and beds can be ordered online or in-store for free pickup or delivery for a fee. The store will also include a Swedish deli with meatballs, plant balls, cinnamon buns, hot dogs, veggie dogs and other items. Additionally, the location will feature an “as-is section,” where gently used and discontinued items will be offered at lower prices. Sarasota’s Ikea will have 46 employees, including experts who can provide design consultations.
“While the retail industry has seen an accelerated shift toward e-commerce, we recognize that customers are still eager for in-person experiences,” Gouverneur says in the email. “That’s why we’re making significant investments in both digital innovation and more accessible store formats. From online planning tools to new stores and faster fulfillment and delivery, we’re making it easier than ever for people to access Ikea in ways that fit their lives.”
According to Ikea’s FY 2025 year in review, 69% of the company’s sales were products sold through stores; 28% were products sold online; and 3% were services to customers. Ikea U.S. had $5.3 billion in sales in 2025, the company reports. It had nearly 61 million visitors to its stores and over 457 million visitors online.
On the Gulf Coast, the only other Ikea store is about 50 miles away in Tampa. There is also a pick-up point for Ikea orders in Fort Myers and at Best Buy in Lakeland.
“At this time, Ikea does not have plans to open future locations on Florida’s Gulf Coast,” Gouverneur says, “but we’re continuously exploring ways to bring Ikea closer to our customers across the U.S.”
Sarasota’s Ikea will be No. 6 for the brand in Florida, where it has stores in Tampa, Miami, Orlando, Jacksonville and Sunrise. The Tampa store, which opened in 2009, is two stories and 353,000 square feet.
Having an Ikea — which operates 58 stores in the United States — is likely to attract other companies to the area, according to American Property Group's Seidel.
“I tell people when they’re looking at a vacant building next to a Starbucks or a major retailer like Ikea, they do so much demographic homework, they do so much research — they’re not just spinning the globe and putting a pin down,” Seidel says. “If they’re there, that means there’s something there for you, too.”
“I think it’s a really good sign for Sarasota, and I think UTC is probably the best place for them,” Seidel adds. “It gives [shoppers] choice, and I think that’s what people want.”
And entering that market with a smaller footprint is “a smart move,” Seidel says, given the size of Sarasota, adding: “Fifty thousand square feet is still a really big store."
