IKEA grand opening attracts shoppers from near + far to Huntsville

PXL 20260225 140843941 — The line to get into Huntsville’s new IKEA store this morning was 200+ deep. (Michael Seale / Hville Blast)

The grand opening of furniture giant IKEA’s first Alabama store attracted hundreds of shoppers from multiple states to Huntsville this chilly Wednesday morning.

The line of shoppers, which started forming around sunrise, was comprised of folks who have waited a long time to have IKEA open in Alabama. Here’s the scoop:

Alabama’s first IKEA store is now open

5037017258516977406 — The first folks in line came all the way from Knoxville. (Elizabeth Hobbs / Hville Blast)

Store info:

📍6125 University Place Dr.
🗓️ Regular store hours: Monday-Sunday, 11AM-7PM

Shoppers standing in line to get into the store traveled from Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi and from all over Alabama. Two shoppers (who ended up first in line this morning), drove from Knoxville. Levi and Alex, who are avid IKEA fans, left Knoxville at 1AM to see this new Huntsville store.

Lisa and Brent Powell, who traveled to Huntsville from Ft. Oglethorpe, Georgia, said they have been anticipating this opening for months now, as the closest IKEA store to them before now was in Atlanta.

“If you’ve ever tried to battle that traffic to get to the Midtown (Atlanta) store, you know that’s not a pleasant experience. This is less than an hour and a half from us. Much easier.”

Brent Powell, IKEA Huntsville shopper

IKEA officials were prepared for the crowds, and planned accordingly.

“We have been working hard the past few weeks, training new staff and preparing for opening. We have also received a lot of assistance from the national IKEA team to make sure we are ready to meet the needs of our new Huntsville customers.”

Brad Ellis, IKEA Huntsville store manager

Some stuff to expect from the new Huntsville IKEA:

A 46,000 square-foot space featuring fully furnished room settings that showcase “local living” solutions tailored to Huntsville residents
5,000 products on display, with a curated selection of 2,000+ items available for immediate takeaway—including accessories and more than 75 small furniture pieces
A central planning area offering one-on-one design consultations for kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, small spaces and more
An As-is Department featuring gently used and discontinued items to support more sustainable home furnishing choices
A full Swedish food experience, including hot and cold IKEA favorites

Ellis said he wants shoppers who may not be accustomed to the store to be patient.

“Take it slow. Take in the one-way shopping experience, and know that you’re going to see something you like and you are going to want to stop, get out of the flow of foot traffic and check it out. Be patient and get yourself used to the flow.”

Brad Ellis, IKEA Huntsville store manager