IKEA Oak Creek almost complete, store tailored to Wisconsinites

OAK CREEK, Wis. (CBS 58) – Wisconsin’s first IKEA store is weeks away from opening.

On Tuesday, CBS 58 got an inside look at the progress of the furniture retailer ahead of the May 16 grand opening.

“Everything is on track,” Store manager Samantha Gravina said.

Workers are putting the finishing touches on displays and stocking the warehouse. Gravina said the store is around 75 percent complete.

“We’re looking forward to letting the people of Wisconsin into their first store,” she said.

The retailer tries to customize each store to its location. At the Oak Creek store, many of the room displays include basements, a common home feature in Wisconsin.

“We’re giving you examples of how to work with an elevated window or a staircase coming down and how you can actually work with your space in a different, more functional way,” Gravina said.

IKEA Oak Creek will feature more than 10,000 designer items, dozens of room settings and its popular restaurant. Doors will open at 9 a.m. on May 16. At the grand opening, prizes and gifts will be handed out.

Around 300 employees will work at the store and the retailer is still hiring. Information how to apply can be found on IKEA’s website.