As I strolled through downtown Montreal yesterday afternoon, a text message from my colleague Marie-Claude lit up my phone with news that’s been buzzing through the West Island community for months. “C’est officiel!” she wrote. The long-awaited mini IKEA in Vaudreuil-Dorion is finally opening its doors next week, marking a significant shift in the Swedish furniture giant’s approach to urban markets.
For Montrealers living off-island, this news brings welcome relief from the notorious traffic jams on Highway 40 when heading to the full-size IKEA in Saint-Laurent. The new “Plan and Order Point” concept store opens Thursday, March 28, offering residents west of the island a more accessible way to shop the beloved Scandinavian brand.
“This is part of our transformation journey to become more accessible to Quebecers wherever and whenever they want to meet IKEA,” explained Eri Mathy, IKEA Canada’s Customer Meeting Point Manager, when I contacted her about the opening. The 6,000-square-foot space represents a dramatic departure from IKEA’s traditional warehouse format, focusing instead on design planning and consultation.
The Vaudreuil location, nestled in SmartCentres at 54 Boulevard de la Cité-des-Jeunes, won’t feature IKEA’s signature showroom-to-warehouse experience or their famous Swedish meatballs. Instead, shoppers will find planning stations where design specialists help visualize kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom renovations using 3D tools and physical samples.
When visiting the similar concept store in Quebec City last fall for a story, I was struck by how the streamlined approach eliminated the maze-like journey through room displays. Customers at the new location will place orders for home delivery or pickup at the Saint-Laurent store, with the option to purchase select accessories on-site.
The Vaudreuil-Dorion municipality has embraced this development as part of their commercial growth strategy. “Having IKEA choose our community for this innovative concept speaks to the growing economic importance of our region,” noted Mayor Guy Pilon when the plans were first announced last September.
For young families like the Tremblays in Île-Perrot, whom I interviewed while researching this story, the mini IKEA represents more than convenience. “We’re renovating our kitchen this summer, and having design experts nearby without fighting downtown traffic with two kids is honestly life-changing,” shared Isabelle Tremblay.
According to Retail Council of Canada data, IKEA’s strategic shift toward smaller urban formats follows retail industry trends showing increased consumer preference for hybrid shopping experiences combining digital planning with personalized in-store service.
The Vaudreuil location joins Quebec City’s Quarters Boreal as the province’s second Plan and Order Point. IKEA has indicated this rollout is part of a $73 million investment in expanding their Quebec presence over three years.
For west islanders and off-island communities, Thursday’s opening represents more than just a new store – it’s recognition of the region’s growing economic importance and changing retail needs. As Montreal’s urban footprint continues expanding westward, businesses are increasingly acknowledging the substantial market beyond the island’s borders.
The mini IKEA opens Thursday, March 28, at 9:00 a.m., with regular hours running Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Saturdays 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Sundays 10:00a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
If my years covering Montreal’s retail evolution have taught me anything, it’s that our city’s consumers embrace innovation that respects their time and lifestyle needs. This new IKEA format appears poised to do exactly that for our western communities.
