Updated Apr 18, 2024 - Business

Wayfair to open first large format store in suburban Wilmette

Carrie Shepherd

Mall parking lot — The Wayfair store planned for Wilmette. Photo courtesy of Gensler

Online furniture retailer Wayfair will open its first large format brick-and-mortar store on May 23 in Wilmette.

Why it matters: Wayfair will fill more than 150,000 square feet of vacant Edens Plaza space left when Carson Pirie Scott closed in 2018. It's part of a plan by Edens Plaza owner WS Development and the City of Wilmette to revamp and modernize the strip mall.

Driving the news: Wayfair announced this month that its new large format store will carry furniture, decor and home improvement items, and include interactive elements.

The company's plans also include an in-store restaurant — a la Ikea.

Catch up quick: Wayfair is the umbrella company for several home decorating brands, including All Modern, Perigold and Birch Lane, all of which generated $12 billion in revenue last year.

The Boston-based company laid off 1,650 employees this year. The CEO blamed overhiring in response to a 2020 boom in online shopping, CNN reported.
A spokesperson tells Axios the Wilmette store is expected to create 200 jobs.

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Wayfair to open first large format store in suburban Wilmette

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