After months of press conferences, hiring announcements and promotions to lure in customers, the north Columbus IKEA store is opening on Wednesday.
Some people began camping outside the Polaris-area store on Monday.
The store is IKEA's 44th in the U.S. That's led to a wide array of promotions by the furniture maker, including giving a free sofa to the first 44 people in line.
The marketing stunts have also caught the eye of Columbus Police, who say they're preparing for tens of thousands of people to visit the Polaris-area store in its first week of business. Officers will be directing traffic at several nearby ramps and intersections.
IKEA stores have become exceedingly popular in the U.S. The Swedish company known for its modern decor has been successful with its marketing and managing the customer experience inside of its stores.
IKEA operates another 353 stores around the world.
