By Stefan Yablonski
IKEA announced recently that it plans to open a new store at Destiny USA. The store is expected to open in the fall.
IKEA Syracuse will move into the 88,500-square-foot former At Home space on the center’s west end.
“This is great news for Onondaga County,” said Danny Liedka, president and CEO of Visit Syracuse. “This will provide a tremendous boost and sales tax collections which directly impacts our county budget. This will certainly draw people in from several hours away to spend and shop in county. Truly a great day and some good news for Destiny USA which has yet again shown their incredible resiliency. For sure an impact on Oswego County residents.”
“With everything going on so close to the southern Oswego County communities I think it does give even more encouragement for folks to live in Oswego!” said Tim Stahl, Oswego County director of community development, tourism and planning.
Oswego County does not have a strong retail presence for furniture sales — “so having an IKEA locate within a 30-45 minute drive for most Oswego County residents is a good thing. Having more choices is always better!” said Austin Wheelock, executive director Operation Oswego County.
“Beyond just providing more choices to local residents, IKEA is widely considered to be a retail destination store, meaning it does not just cater to the local and regional population, and draws customers from a greater geographic area.” Wheelock continued, “With this being the only IKEA in Upstate New York, it should draw customers from across the state, primarily the Thruway and I-81 corridors, to Destiny USA.
“That doesn’t bring people to Oswego County specifically, but it provides the opportunity for people who are traveling through the Syracuse area for IKEA to potentially visit and spend dollars in our communities. I wouldn’t expect it to create a noticeable bump in our area but it could if IKEA acts as a catalyst for other destination retail to come to Central New York.”
IKEA is a well-known multinational company that specializes in affordable home furnishing products. It is a multinational conglomerate founded in Sweden that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture, household goods and various related services.
“Guests will find IKEA’s signature showroom, marketplace and, of course, the beloved Swedish food experience — all under one roof,” according to Destiny USA’s statement.
Customers will be able to try the Swedish food experience with a variety of hot and cold options like meatballs, plant balls, hot dogs, veggie dogs, plant dogs, cinnamon buns and more. They can enjoy in the store or take food home.
The store will showcase fully furnished room settings and more than 3,000 products, including home furnishings accessories and about 75 small furniture items.
IKEA chose the Syracuse mega mall because of its accessibility, high traffic, regional draw and its position at the crossroads of the New York State Thruway and I-81, according Destiny USA’s statement.
“From Buffalo to Albany, the Canadian border to Pennsylvania and beyond, shoppers will soon have access to one of the most sought-after retail brands on the planet,” the statement continued.
