Ikea to open Sarasota store in mid-November

Global furniture company Ikea has set an opening date for its Sarasota store. The location in the University Town Center shopping district will begin welcoming customers on Nov. 18, according to the Ikea Sarasota website.The storefront at 147 N. Cattlemen Road has been under construction for months, between DWS and Golf Galaxy near Target and REI, since the retailer first announced in April it was coming to Sarasota.The Sarasota Ikea will occupy about 48,000 square feet. That is smaller than the brand s traditional big-box store, which spans about 300,000 square feet. Ikea previously told the Business Observer, a sister publication, that it plans to have about 46 employees staffing its Sarasota store.About 5,000 items will be on display in Sarasota, of which 3,000 will be available for immediate takeaway, including home furnishings like textiles, lighting, accent pieces and more than 100 smaller furniture items. Larger items like sofas and beds can be ordered online or in store, for fr