Internet retailer Wayfair announced that it plans to open its first brick-and-mortar location next month in a suburb outside Chicago.
Wayfair said it will open a 150,000-square-foot store in Wilmette, Illinois on May 23. The location will have furniture, home decor, housewares and home improvement products.
There will also be an on-site restaurant known as The Porch.
"Get ready to shop, explore, and be inspired like never before," Wayfair said.
The location will have a design studio, Wayfair said.
At 150,000 square feet, the first location will be about half the size of a typical Ikea store despite having similar offerings. Ikea, however, has said it plans to open numerous small-format stores across the U.S. that are much smaller than their typical locations.
Wayfair is not the only internet-based retailer that has tried to transition to in-person shopping. Amazon opened its Amazon Style stores in 2022, featuring some of its popular clothing items. However, its foray into in-person shopping was brief as the stores were shuttered by the end of 2023.
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Wayfair has undergone some workforce changes in 2024.
In January, Wayfair announced it would cut 13% of its global workforce, including 19% of its corporate workers, as sales took a nosedive following the pandemic. The cuts impact 1,650 employees.
The furniture and home goods retailer said annualized sales doubled from $9 billion to $18 billion during the pandemic. But that surge was temporary, and its stock value has since plummeted to its lowest level in seven years.
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