IKEA boosts Illinois footprint with new opening in Gurnee Mills, plus nine other U.S. cities

The Swedish furniture giant IKEA will open 10 new stores across the U.S. in 2026, including a new Illinois location in Gurnee Mills, according to theChicago Business Journal. IKEA runs over 500 stores worldwide, with more than 50 in the U.S. The company already operates two stores in Illinois, in Schaumburg and Bolingbrook near Chicago. 

Five additional locations target the South, bringing flat-pack furniture to fresh markets, reports Southern Living. The push comes despite inflation pressures. According to reports, Huntsville, Alabama, leads Southern gains with a 46,000-square-foot store at University Place Shopping Center. Texans also will score big with locations in Dallas, Rockwall and Webster. 

According to Southern Living, other sites include Phoenix, Arizona; Culver City, California; Fort Collins, Colorado; Chantilly, Virginia; and Tulsa, Oklahoma. 

Gurnee Mills shopping mall expansion

The Gurnee Mills outlet, a 66,000-square-foot space, will hire 50 workers this fall, the Chicago Business Journal reports. It sits off Interstate 94 for easy access from northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin.

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“IKEA Gurnee Mills offers a unique opportunity to bring the brand and range closer to where people live, work, socialize and shop,” said Samantha Gravina, IKEA’s area manager for Chicago, according to the Chicago Business Journal. The site boosts visibility at the shopping mall.

IKEA’s rise in momentum for affordable homeware

The firm posted $5.3 billion in U.S. sales for fiscal 2025, including $1.9 billion online, the Chicago Business Journal reported. “Looking ahead to FY26, we will build on this momentum, focusing on continued investment in the U.S. to make IKEA more affordable, accessible and sustainable,” said Rob Olson, interim CEO of IKEA U.S., according to a statement from the company.

College students, new homeowners and design lovers stand to gain. The expansion meets demand for inexpensive homeware. IKEA eyes steady growth amid challenges.