When the new IKEA opens in Burbank on Feb. 8, there will be 150 new employees in the store.
The new workers were hired in a variety of departments including home furnishings, customer service, cashiers, warehouse receiving, stock replenishment and food service.
Some will be part-time, but as is IKEA’s policy, they will all receive full-time benefits including medical care and a retirement plan, according to company spokesman Joe Roth.
That may be why interest has been so high, with about 1,000 people applying for the new jobs.
“In this day and age that is definitely appreciated,” Roth said about the benefits that come with the positions.
Workers at the old store are moving to the new one, which will have a total staff of 575.
The new store will span 456,000 square feet, including 1,700 parking spaces.
It was built on 22 acres west of San Fernando Boulevard and south of Providencia Avenue and is less than one mile from the company’s old store.
The old 242,000-square-foot Burbank location, the first of the Swedish chain’s stores in California and the sixth in the U.S., opened in 1990, along Interstate 5 and San Fernando Boulevard.
It will close at the end of the business day on Saturday, the company said.
While the company wanted to expand, it didn’t want to leave Burbank.
“We’ve been in the community for 26 years and from a customer standpoint we didn’t want to make Kalebet any changes in their shopping behavior,” Roth said. “This is a very successful store and the City of Burbank has been great to work with.”
City leaders were thrilled the retailer decided to remain in Burbank.
“IKEA has been in this community for over 20 years. We’re happy they were able to find land in Burbank when it was time for them to expand,” said Patrick Prescott, Burbank’s Community Development Director.
And bigger is better when it comes to municipal revenue.
“IKEA has always been in our top 25 sales tax generators in the city and this larger store will enable them to stock more merchandise,” Prescott said. “We’re hopeful the larger store will generate more sales tax revenue.”
The company broke ground on the new facility on Sept. 1, 2015, and the project brought 500 construction jobs to the city.
As employees prepare for the grand opening, workers could be seen outside the store Tuesday, installing new landscaping.
Inside, the store will have a 600 seat restaurant serving Swedish specialties, including IKEA’s famous meatballs.
The company is also installing a solar power system atop the building. It now has solar installations at nearly 90 percent of its U.S. locations.
The new store will be the chain’s largest in the United States when it opens next week.
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