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Ikea plans May opening for Tampa store

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TAMPA TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 13, 2009

TAMPA - Ikea will open its Ybor City store in May, company officials announced last week.

For those who make travel plans based on such things, the 353,000-square-foot store on Adamo Drive will open at 9 a.m. May 6, according to a company statement.

"We are thrilled at the excellent construction progress made in the summer and fall and believe the remaining construction milestones and interior build-up process will be complete by May - much earlier than originally envisioned," Tampa store manager Monica Varela said in the statement.

"Now our primary goal is hiring and training the 400 local hires who will be joining the Ikea co-worker family before we open."
Ikea began hiring for the store, which will be the Swedish furniture maker's third in Florida, in January.

It still has some positions open in sales, customer service, food service and the warehouse, company spokesman Joseph Roth said.

The company has developed something of a cult following over the years, and past store openings have drawn hundreds of people. Some even camp out to be among the first to shop at a new Ikea. The company plans to allow people to camp out starting 48 hours before the Tampa store's opening, Roth said.

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