Of Note: IKEA taps Huntsville for store

IKEA announced Tuesday that it will open a new storefront in Huntsville, making the Alabama city the closest location to Nashville at a roughly two-hour drive.

IKEA’s Memphis location is located within the closest proximity to Nashville of any other city with the retailer.

The Swedish furniture retailer said in a news release that the future 46,000- square-foot store is expected to be open in early 2026. It will be the first IKEA store in Alabama.

The release notes that the future IKEA will offer 5,000 products on display with a selection of more than 2,000 products available for immediate takeaway. The Huntsville location is set to feature a restaurant, central planning area for design consultations and a department offering discounted prices on gently-used and discontinued products.

In 2017, IKEA announced plans to open a store in Antioch — plans that were later scrapped. The retailer opened the country’s first pick-up location in Antioch in 2022.

IKEA officials could not be reached for comment regarding whether the company is still interested in having a Nashville store.