Mini Ikea stores will be opening inside select Best Buy locations this year

Ikea, the Swedish home furnishings retailer, has announced that it will be opening mini retail experiences in select Best Buy stores in the southern United States later this year. This partnership marks the first time Ikea's products and services will be available through another US retailer, making it more accessible to shoppers who may not live near one of Ikea's warehouse-sized stores. The mini Ikea shops, which will be around 1,000 square feet in size, will not focus on electronics like the Apple-branded shops already located in most Best Buy stores. Instead, they will be designed to attract customers interested in appliances, such as fridges and washing machines, and help them redesign their kitchens and laundry rooms. The initial 10 Ikea shop-in-shops will launch in Florida and Texas, including locations in Daytona Beach, South Austin, and Mesquite. Ikea has not announced plans to open more than the initial 10 next year, but this partnership allows the company to expand its presence in the US, where it currently has only 52 locations, while leveraging Best Buy's extensive network of over 1,000 stores.