IKEA permanently closes two stores near Toronto

Swedish multinational conglomerate, IKEA, just closed two of its Design Studio stores inside shopping malls near Toronto. 

In contrast to a typical large-scale IKEA store, these studios offered one-on-one consultation services for kitchen designs and bedroom projects featuring the brand's ready-to-assemble furniture. 

With the help of an expert planner, customers were able to design, quote, and order IKEA goods directly to their homes or designated pick-up locations. The studios never actually carried any stock (or any of those delicious Swedish meatballs), meaning the stores strictly served as design spaces. 

It doesn't come as a huge surprise that IKEA has shuttered two of these concept stores — one at Square One in Mississauga and another at Bramalea City Centre in Brampton — as design studios typically only stay open for 12 to 18 months. 

This gives people who may not typically have convenient access to IKEA stores a chance to browse the Swedish company's products. 

The Square One location of IKEA Design Studio opened up back in December 2021, and was recently listed as "permanently closed" on Google. Its Brampton location — which opened up in October 2021 — also shut its doors a few weeks ago. 

Scarborough Town Centre's design studio is currently listed as "temporarily closed" on Google, and it's not clear if this location will be permanently closing sometime soon as well. 

You call still find IKEA Design Studios in Barrie, London, Oshawa, St. Catharines, and Windsor. Just keep in mind that these curated showrooms are only meant to pop up for the short term, so if you're keen on visiting one, make sure to visit your nearest location as soon as possible.