These are the opening plans of Ikea in Valais.

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The people of Valais will soon really get to know Billy. It doesn’t stay on the cult shelf. Misterhuld, pendant lamp, Malm dresser and Pax, wardrobe, known only to some locals from the mail order catalogue. In less than a year, IKEA icons will be arriving at the Riddes in Lower Valais to be touched and tried out. Ikea Switzerland has confirmed by request that the opening of the first Swedish furniture store in a mountainous region of Switzerland is scheduled for spring 2024.

Excavations began in the Les Morands commercial district on Monday, and the official start of construction kicked off last Friday in the presence of Jessica Andersen, 52, boss of Ikea Switzerland. He describes the start of the construction phase as an “important milestone” for the Swedish furniture chain in Switzerland. “With Riddes we are opening up a new market outside the cities in Switzerland,” says Anderen.

Ikea is investing approximately 100 million francs in the new location. The area of ​​the branch is roughly the size of three football fields. It will be the greenest and most modern of the ten Swiss Ikea houses of the time. A “generous” area is also planned for the service called “click and buy” so that customers can easily and efficiently receive their online orders.

Up to 200 new jobs will be created

It is said that until now Valais has been difficult to get to an Ikea store. Also, the mountain areas are “very interesting” for the company because there are a lot of vacation home owners there. The location is also easily accessible for the people of Upper Valais. The drive from Visp to Riddes takes about three quarters of an hour. It is less than fifteen minutes’ drive from Martigny.

IKEA announced at the groundbreaking event in Riddes that the new location will benefit not only future customers but the entire canton. They also want to create 150 to 200 new jobs in the region. The recruitment phase will begin in the summer of 2023.

In 1973, Ikea opened its first furniture store outside Scandinavia in Spreitbach AG. 50 years later, the Swedes arrived in the Valais mountains with Billy.

Source :Blick