Ikea — one of the world’s largest retailers of ready-to-assemble furniture and household goods — is opening a design center in the Promenade Shops at Orchard Valley.

It will be located near the JC Penney Store.

Unlike large IKEA warehouse stores such as in West Sacramento and Emeryville, the design centers do not carry stock.

The design studios primarily focus on planning and ordering, with furniture and products delivered directly to the customer's home. There is no stock for sale on-site.

They focus on areas like kitchens, bedrooms, and living rooms, offering a curated selection and expert planning for such spaces. 

Even in smaller studios, IKEA aims to create inspiring room settings where customers can see how products look and function in a realistic environment. 

Manteca Mayor Gary Singh lauded Grupe Huber — the Stockton-based firm that bought Orchard Valley last year — for securing IKEA.

IKEA is a natural fit for the region that saw more than 2,500 homes and apartments built last year, including 1,306 in Manteca.

Lathrop and Manteca area among the fastest growing cities in California.

Manteca is at the center of  a triangle with Tracy, Stockton, and Modesto putting it within reach of 700,000 plus consumers in 20 to 30 minutes.

The average median household income in Manteca, Lathrop, Tracy, and Mountain House now ranges from $120,000 to $171,000.

It is why Living Spaces with its massive showroom — that will be almost literally across Union Road from the IKEA design center — chose to locate in Manteca. The same goes for Ashey Furniture in Lathrop with its combined showroom and distribution center.

Grupe is reportedly in the process of signing other retailers.

The city recently worked with Burlington to relocate to the space JoAnn Fabrics vacated in the Stadium Retail Center.

Burlington will close its current location in the Mission Ridge Shopping Center in the former Mervyn’s building that has become too large for their more efficient newer store formats.

Singh said the city is working with the Mission Ridge Shopping Center management to secure a replacement retailer for the current Burlington location.

The mayor noted the city is working to do what it can to secure a Trader Joe’s and a WinCo.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwuayy@mantecabulletin.com