IKEA Canada reopens stores in Ontario

If you want to do some redecorating over the course of the pandemic, you might be happy to hear that IKEA Canada has reopened locations in Ontario and Quebec. 

On May 26, the company said it has reopened stores in Burlington, Etobicoke, Ottawa, North York and Vaughan. IKEA stores in British Columbia and Nova Scotia continue to be temporarily closed.

IKEA says it has implemented enhanced, preventative health and safety measures to ensure co-workers and customers feel safe to work and shop. The IKEA Restaurant and children’s play area, Småland, will remain closed. 

The IKEA Bistro will open for takeout only. 

“As we begin to reopen store locations in certain markets, our top priority continues to be the health and safety of our co-workers, customers and communities,” said Michael Ward, CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer, IKEA Canada, in a statement. 

“We will continue to act in a responsible way and before making any decisions to open our doors, we have taken steps to ensure our health and safety measures are secured.” 

New health and safety measures at IKEA stores include: 

• Strict physical distancing guidelines, a minimum of 2-metres apart, including floor decals for line-ups.
• Limiting the number of visitors overall and maintaining a strict capacity in select areas.
• Frequent sanitization and cleaning of units and surfaces incl. carts (after every use).
• Personal protective equipment (PPE) for co-workers.
• Separation screens around cash registers and customer service points.
• Hand sanitizer throughout and clear information on preventive hygiene methods to minimize the potential risk of infection. 
• Health and safety requirements for co-workers and third-party vendors, including a temperature check when they enter the building.

IKEA is asking shoppers to be mindful of physical distancing guidelines and limits to store capacity. The company asks that shoppers check the stock availability of their desired products on IKEA.ca before heading to a store and that customers consider visiting at a non-peak time or later date.

Customers are also asked to avoid touching products that they do not intend to buy and shopping in groups of two or less. 

IKEA continues to offer contactless Curbside Click & Collect at all store locations, including those which have reopened, and online shopping at IKEA.ca.