IKEA, the world's leading home furnishings retailer, opened the doors of its Round Rock store to thousands of eager customers Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2006. IKEA co-workers applauded the hundreds of customers waiting in line -- some had been camped out since Monday -- when the store opened at 9 a.m.

The 252,000-square-foot IKEA Round Rock is located along I-35 at the University Boulevard exit, and is the 29th IKEA store in the U.S. and 247th worldwide. The store employs 300 co-workers, and features 10,000 exclusively designed home furnishings all under one roof, a 300-seat IKEA Restaurant, a supervised children’s play area and 1,200 parking spaces.

"We are excited to bring the fun and unique IKEA family-friendly shopping experience to Round Rock, Central Texas and beyond," said Jeff O'Shaughnessy, IKEA Round Rock store manager.

Moments before the doors opened, O'Shaughnessy welcomed the community into the IKEA customer family with a traditional Swedish log-sawing ceremony, bringing good luck to the new home and all its future visitors. In addition to brief remarks by the Honorable Round Rock Mayor Nyle Maxwell, Mayor Pro-Tem Alan McGraw raised the U.S. flag; Carrin Patman, representing the Swedish Consulate, raised the Swedish flag; and Williamson County Commissioner Lisa Birkman raised the Texas flag.

Grand Opening giveaways
To celebrate the grand opening and recognize loyal, enthusiastic customers, IKEA Round Rock will give away thousands of dollars in IKEA Gift Cards.

• Enter to Win When Entering our Home – From Nov. 15-19, 2006, visitors to IKEA Round Rock may enter a drawing to win one of 10 $1,000 IKEA Gift Cards. IKEA Round Rock will match the prizes (a total of $10,000) with a donation to benefit the Williamson County Children's Advocacy Center, a local assistance provider to abused children.
• You Say It's Your Birthday – Bring proof to IKEA Round Rock on Nov. 15 that it is your birthday, and receive a $10 gift card.
• Play Big and Eat Big (If You’re Little!) – Musical entertainment and face-painting for kids will take place at IKEA Round Rock from Nov. 15-19. They also can enjoy a macaroni-and-cheese meal with a drink for 99 cents.

IKEA ROUND ROCK AT-A-GLANCE

IKEA Round Rock offers:

• Low prices for well-designed, quality furnishings where customers visit the store, choose items and pick products from the self-serve warehouse by themselves.
• 50 inspirational room-settings and three model homes reflecting a variety of living situations with creative design ideas that can be brought to life in any room in the home.
• More than 10,000 exclusively designed home furnishings ranging from beds, desks and sofas to cookware, pet products and kitchens, complete with cabinetry and appliances.
• Same-day shopping satisfaction with products in easy-to-transport flat-pack boxes that benefit the customer and the environment, and which customers can transport and assemble easily.
• Småland, a supervised children’s play area (for children who meet the 37"-54" height requirement) that replicates the look of a typical Swedish farmhouse and forest.
• Additional play areas throughout the store, offering activities for kids shopping with parents.
• A "Children’s IKEA" area in the Showroom that also offers fun, interactive play.
• Attention-to-detail conveniences such as: family-friendly parking, strollers, baby care rooms, and a private, comfortable room for nursing moms.
• The IKEA Restaurant opens for breakfast one half-hour before the store opens for shopping and serves a full hot breakfast, including scrambled eggs, potatoes and bacon for 99 cents.
• The 300-seat restaurant also offers lunch, dinner, snacks and dessert, with a diverse menu, including traditional Swedish specialties such as the popular IKEA Swedish meatballs, shrimp sandwiches, salmon platters, and American dishes such as pasta, chicken and a vegetarian option.
• Menu choices for kids include a child's portion of Swedish meatballs or macaroni and cheese, while organic baby food, bottle warmers and bibs are available for even younger visitors.
• A Bistro near the store's exit serves hot dogs, cinnamon buns, frozen yogurt and beverages.
• The Swedish Foodmarket offers Swedish delicacies, treats, and even frozen Swedish meatballs (the same ones served in the store’s Restaurant) to purchase and then prepare at home.
• Customers can pick-up catalogs (in both English and Spanish) up at the store.
• Measuring tape, pencils, store maps, yellow shopping bags and two types of carts are available.
• Numerous conventional, self-, and handheld checkouts to ensure efficient customer purchasing.
• Home-delivery (starting at $49) and assembly services can be arranged while at the store.

With IKEA Round Rock open, there are 247 IKEA stores in 34 countries, including 29 in the U.S., where the company plans to open three to five stores a year. Other U.S. stores are being planned in: Brooklyn, N.Y.; Draper, Utah; Dublin, Calif.; Orlando; Portland, Ore.; Somerville, Mass.; Sunrise, Fla.; and West Chester, Ohio.

Since its 1943 founding in Sweden, IKEA has offered a wide range of home furnishings and accessories of good design and function, at low prices so the majority of the people can afford them. IKEA has been ranked in FORTUNE’s annual "100 Best Companies to Work For" List (two years in a row), Working Mother magazine’s annual list of "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" (four years in a row) and Training magazine's annual "Top 100" ranking of companies that excel at human capital development (four years in a row). IKEA incorporates environmentally and socially responsible efforts into day-to-day business, and continuously supports initiatives that benefit causes such as children and the environment. To visit the IKEA Web site or for information about working at IKEA, please go to http://www.IKEA-usa.com.