IKEA is planning to open smaller stores in new locations — here is what we know

IKEA is planning on expanding its small-format stores across the U.S., with a handful of new locations expected to open by the end of the year – complete with the iconic meatballs.

Earlier this month, the popular, budget-friendly Swedish furniture and home goods chain launched its third small-format store in San Marcos, Texas. The 35,000-square-foot location is much smaller than the brand’s typical massive warehouses. The small store offers “‘local living’ solutions thoughtfully tailored to reflect the unique everyday needs of the San Marcos community,” the company said in a statement.

“At IKEA U.S., we are committed to improving the customer experience by adapting our store formats for greater convenience, making delivery more affordable and ensuring better connectivity with our customers in their daily lives,” Javier Quiñones, CEO & chief sustainability officer of IKEA U.S., added.

“The opening of IKEA San Marcos exemplifies our strategy of developing smaller, more accessible store formats in this journey toward a more connected and accessible IKEA experience for the many.”

Despite its compact size, it still offers more than “2,500 products are on display with 2,000 items available for purchase,” including “a small range of Swedish Food Market items.”

At the moment, San Francisco and Arcadia, California, are the only other cities home to these small-format stores. But more are planned.

Five small-format locations are set to open by the end of this year, in cities including Syracuse, New York, along with Dallas and Rockwell, Texas, a company spokesperson confirmed to Nexstar. Meanwhile, at least one new location has been set to open next year in Phoenix, the outlet reported.