Official: domestic traffic at mall up 6%
By Mary Beth Roach
The much-anticipated grand opening of the IKEA Syracuse at Destiny USA in November had some customers lined up as early as 4:30 a.m., and in the nearly eight months since, the momentum appears to continue.
Traffic at the mall has been up since IKEA opened, and that increase has remained consistent, according to Samantha Marra-Marshall, director of marketing for Destiny USA.
“Year-to-date, we have seen domestic traffic from Placer.ai over 6%,” she said. “That shows a very strong partnership, I would say, between IKEA and Destiny USA. I think together we’re creating a stronger destination.” Placer.ai is the company Destiny USA uses for tracking.
Currently, the Destiny USA store is the only one in Upstate New York. There are several others downstate and in New Jersey, and Marshall-Marra said that she believes that Syracuse’s central location in the state was a big factor in its decision to open up a site here.
“It is very significant for IKEA to choose a location like Destiny USA in Syracuse,” she said. “I really think accessibility is a huge part of that.” She added that IKEA’s decision reinforces “Destiny’s role as just a regional destination or regional draw.”
IKEA Syracuse is smaller than some of its other stores, but its 90,000-square-foot space, once the site of the At Home store, still contains thousands of items, and advertises an option to order more.
The space is almost like a maze, with items displayed at every turn, including furniture arranged in eye-catching and cozy settings, lighting, small kitchen gadgets, bedding, textiles, closet organizers, and more. Arrows placed on the floor and plenty of overhead signage can help shoppers navigate the labyrinth.
There are two entrances to the store — one from inside the mall, as well as one from the parking lot — and as customers approach the store, there are furniture displays set up to welcome them. To the right of the parking lot entrance is IKEA’s trademark cafeteria area, featuring Swedish meatballs, vegetarian-friendly plant balls, hot dogs, water, soda, coffee, and sweet treats. Those Swedish meatballs were introduced by its founder, Ingvar Kamprad, as a way to keep hungry shoppers in the stores rather than have them leave to eat somewhere else, according to an article in “The Newcomer Magazine.” They also reinforce the Swedish origins of the business.
Having a brand that is recognized around the world coming to Destiny USA is a “match made in heaven,” Marshall-Marra noted.
In June, Pyramid Management Group, which manages Destiny USA, announced that IKEA will open a second location in Upstate New York, at Walden Gallery in suburban Buffalo, also managed by Pyramid. The 67,000-square-foot store is scheduled to open in early 2027.
