Oklahoma's first IKEA store opens Friday, Oct. 23, at the Tulsa Hills Shopping Center, filling a 51,000-square-foot space left vacant when Belk closed in January.

The store at 7309 S. Olympia Ave. occupies the former Belk building near 71st Street and U.S. 75. IKEA describes it as a "city store," a smaller format than its traditional warehouse locations, according to News On 6.

Grand opening festivities begin at 8 a.m., with the store opening to shoppers at 10 a.m., KJRH reported. Regular hours after opening day will be 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

Shoppers will find more than 5,000 products on display, with more than 3,000 products are available for immediate takeaway, including more than 250 smaller furniture items, Doug Murray with IKEA told News On 6. Larger items such as sofas and beds can be ordered in-store or online for pickup or delivery. The location will also handle online order pickups.

IKEA is donating $10,000 to Tulsa nonprofit Family & Children's Services to mark the opening, KJRH reported.

$2.5 million in city incentives

The Tulsa City Council in March approved a $2.5 million economic development incentive for the project. A city resolution shows the funds cover a portion of building improvements, parking lot work and public infrastructure tied to the site. The agreement is between the city and DRP Tulsa Hills Property Owner, LLC, which oversees the shopping center.

The incentive money comes from repaid loans that were part of a 2016 Vision Tulsa bond package, The Oklahoma Eagle reported in July.

Tulsa officials project the store will generate $30 million to $40 million in annual sales, The Oklahoma Eagle reported. At the city's 3.65% sales tax rate, that would yield roughly $1.1 million to $1.46 million a year for city coffers. Belk, by comparison, generated about $3 million in annual sales and roughly $100,000 in city sales tax.

Years of campaigning

The opening caps a years-long push. In 2024, groups including Tulsa Remote and Tulsa Young Professionals launched a "Tulsa Loves IKEA" campaign that featured a pop-up restaurant, a public art installation and an open letter to the company. More than 60 people chartered a bus to an IKEA in Frisco, Texas, as part of the effort.

IKEA announced the Tulsa project in February. Construction ran ahead of the original November target, Erran Persley, Tulsa's chief economic development officer, told The Oklahoma Eagle in July.

"They're ahead of schedule on construction. There have been very few issues on the project so far, so I think we're good," Persley said at the time.

Shoppers heading to the opening should note that a $27 million Oklahoma Department of Transportation bridge replacement project at U.S. 75 and 81st Street began in June and is expected to continue through the end of 2027. The work zone has narrowed lanes and a reduced speed limit.

News On 6 reported that job postings for the store list hourly pay starting at $18.50, with positions in customer service, sales, food service, logistics and merchandising.