IKEA Coming to Buffalo
IKEA Announces Full-Format Store Opening at Buffalo's Walden Galleria by Early 2027
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Walden Galleria said the 67,000-square-foot IKEA will display “more than 5,000 products,” including “more than 3,000 that can be immediately taken home,” with on-site ordering for pickup and delivery of larger furniture.
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IKEA will occupy the former Sears and Sears Auto Center space “at the mall’s north end near the Apple Store,” according to the mall’s announcement.
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Pyramid CEO Stephen J. Congel framed the move as a major milestone for the company, saying it is “another huge moment in our company’s history,” and noting that Walden Galleria will be the “second location in the Pyramid portfolio.”
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State Assemblyman Patrick J. Chludzinski said the store will “draw visitors from across Western New York, Northeastern Pennsylvania, and Canada,” which he said would benefit local businesses.
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Cheektowaga Town Supervisor Brian Nowak called the project “a powerful testament to Western New York’s resurgence and momentum.”
Buffalo is finally getting its own IKEA. The Swedish furniture giant will open a 67,000-square-foot store at Walden Galleria in Cheektowaga by early 2027, according to Walden Galleria. It will fill the lower level of the old Sears and Sears Auto Center space near the mall's Apple Store.
For decades, Western New York shoppers had to drive to Burlington, Ontario — about 60 miles away — or Pittsburgh, roughly 215 miles, for a full IKEA experience. That era is ending. Buffalo Rising reported that the store will carry more than 5,000 products, with over 3,000 available to take home the same day.
IKEA Swaps Big Box for a Sleeker Mall Format
The Buffalo store is roughly one-third the size of a traditional IKEA, which typically runs 300,000 square feet or more. IKEA is shifting to smaller, mall-based stores across the country to reach more shoppers. The Syracuse location at Destiny USA, which opened in November 2025 at 70,000 square feet, was the test run for this model, according to Utica Observer-Dispatch.
Shoppers who want larger furniture can still order on-site for pickup or delivery. The store will include a full showroom, a marketplace section, and IKEA's Swedish Bistro. Audacy noted it will be the first true IKEA retail experience in the Buffalo area.
Sears' Empty Shell Becomes a Regional Shopping Draw
The Sears store at Walden Galleria closed years ago, leaving a large gap at the mall's north end. Pyramid Management Group has now replaced it across two levels. Primark, a global discount fashion brand, opened on the upper level in 2023. IKEA will take the lower level. Pyramid CEO Stephen J. Congel called it "another huge moment in our company's history," according to WIVB-TV.
Pyramid secured new five-year financing for Walden Galleria in February 2026, stabilizing the mall ahead of the announcement. The company says the Galleria draws shoppers from a trade area stretching more than 60 miles. Adding IKEA as an anchor is expected to push that pull even further.
Politicians See an End to the Canadian Shopping Trip
Western New York residents have long crossed into Canada to shop at IKEA in Burlington, Ontario. State Assemblyman Patrick J. Chludzinski said the store will "draw visitors from across Western New York, Northeastern Pennsylvania, and Canada," benefiting nearby businesses. The opening could actually flip that spending flow, pulling Canadian shoppers south into New York instead.
Cheektowaga Town Supervisor Brian Nowak called the project "a powerful testament to Western New York's resurgence and momentum." State Senator April Baskin said it is "a strong investment in our local economy" that will create new jobs — from logistics and assembly roles to positions in the Swedish Bistro, according to Times Herald.
A 2023 Pickup Point Helped Seal the Deal
IKEA did not jump into Buffalo cold. In January 2023, it opened a pickup point at 2525 Walden Ave in Cheektowaga. Shoppers could order online and collect furniture there. Retail analyst Burt Flickinger III said at the time that the pickup point looked like "a test for a store," according to Audacy. The strong order volume from that location appears to have confirmed Buffalo's appetite for a full retail presence.
Interior work on the former Sears space is expected to begin in late 2026. The grand opening is targeted for early 2027. IKEA currently operates 61 U.S. locations and has plans to add 10 more in 2026 and 2027, per Utica Observer-Dispatch. The Walden Galleria store will be the second in the Pyramid Management portfolio, following Syracuse.
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