Wayfair's first-ever physical store opens in Wilmette

The 150,000 square-foot, purple-and-white store sits in the Plaza's remodeled Carson Pirie Scott space, which has sat empty since 2018

Popular online furniture retailer Wayfair will come to life Thursday in Wilmette as it opens its first-ever physical store.

The highly anticipated store, at 3232 Lake Avenue in Eden's Plaza, will host a grand opening at 10 a.m. As of 6 a.m., some customers were already in line hoping to score deals and freebies as part of the festivities, NBC 5's Lexi Sutter reported.

Visible from the highway, the 150,000 square-foot, purple-and-white store sits in the Plaza's remodeled Carson Pirie Scott space, which has sat empty since 2018. According to Wilmette village president Senta Plunkett, the store is expected to have a "transformative effect" on the suburb.

"It will be our largest sales tax generator," Plunkett told NBC Chicago in an interview. "We're excited to be able to reinvest those sales tax dollars into our infrastructure. It's a big deal here."

The store also features an on-site restuarant called "The Porch," with all-day breakfast along with snacks, salads, sandwiches, coffee and beer and wine, officials said, where customers can "sip and shop."

Following the grand opening, the store and restuarant hours will be 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, the release added.

What the store is like on the inside

The store contains more than 80,000 pieces of inventory -- from couches and cribs, to wallpaper, flooring, backsplash, showers, sinks and refrigerators -- plus a home improvement section, test kitchen and fully-loaded design center line the newly renovated walls.

"We wanted customers to see that we have things for the entire home," Barclay Resler, Wayfair's head of visual merchandising said. "And not only that, we have the entire style spectrum, so everything from the most modern, through the spectrum to the most traditional, and also really every price point."

Similar to a home furnishings store, a walk through Wayfair offers multiple home vignettes and colors along with finishing touches like pillows, candles, vases and tableware. While many of its furniture and finishing brands are signature ones -- like Joss & Main, which also has a brick-and-mortar store in the Chicago area -- it also carries appliances from top names like Samsung, Bosch and Cuisinart.

The store also offers custom cabinetry for kitchens, complimentary design services, a gallery wall creator and a "Dream Center" that allow customers to get matched with certain mattresses and pillows using a five-question process.

According to officials, customers can select and purchase items in store and pick them up at the end of the shopping trip, though some items would need to be delivered. Customers can also order items online for store pick-up, or select "fast and free shipping," which typically takes under a week.

Officials said the Chicago market -- Wilmette, in particular -- offered a "great" opportunity for Wayfair's first physical store.

"Lots of young families here," said Liza Lefkowski, VP of merchandising. "It's kind of right for our brand."

Lefkowski went on to say that the store is meant to be a destination for all things "home," and to fit a wide variety of budgets.

Ahead of the opening, here's a sneak peek into what it looks like inside:

wayfair's first-ever physical store opens in wilmette
wayfair's first-ever physical store opens in wilmette
wayfair's first-ever physical store opens in wilmette
wayfair's first-ever physical store opens in wilmette
wayfair's first-ever physical store opens in wilmette
wayfair's first-ever physical store opens in wilmette
wayfair's first-ever physical store opens in wilmette
wayfair's first-ever physical store opens in wilmette
wayfair's first-ever physical store opens in wilmette
wayfair's first-ever physical store opens in wilmette
wayfair's first-ever physical store opens in wilmette
wayfair's first-ever physical store opens in wilmette
wayfair's first-ever physical store opens in wilmette

OTHER NEWS

29 minutes ago

BREAKING: Blitzboks qualify for Paris Olympics 2024

29 minutes ago

'We were a bit sloppy around the place': Now Cork and Clare set for semi-final battles

30 minutes ago

Penguins Could Provide Fresh Start for Flames Forward

30 minutes ago

Scotland vs Hungary lineups: Euro 2024 predicted XIs, confirmed team news and injury latest

30 minutes ago

Amber Lyster: Perth’s real-life Lady Bridgerton graces Woman’s Day magazine

30 minutes ago

Skimpy agency Gold Class Girls up for nominated at 2024 Striptease Artist Recognition Awards

31 minutes ago

Outrage over video of Israeli soldiers driving with injured Palestinian strapped to a jeep

33 minutes ago

Director Michael John Warren On Capturing The Rise, Fall And Rebirth Of The Cultural Revolution In ‘Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza’

33 minutes ago

Hugh Grant Praises Taylor Swift & “Gigantic Boyfriend” Travis Kelce After Attending Eras Tour: “You Have An Incredible Show”

35 minutes ago

Video: Heavily pregnant Ashley Tisdale shows off her huge baby bump in a white one-piece during family beach trip in LA

36 minutes ago

Marcus Rashford makes Man Utd transfer stance clear as seven players 'ring-fenced' from sale

37 minutes ago

Which Players Could Make the Cut for the Hockey Hall of Fame's Class of 2024?

37 minutes ago

Ontario Liberal MP's map of Canada forgets P.E.I., Yukon

37 minutes ago

For years, crumbs of cannabis impacted a Maryland man's life. Now he sees a clearer future

37 minutes ago

Round 17 Teams: More bad news for Warriors, Titans sweat on Campbell scans, Rooster facing hefty ban

37 minutes ago

Mary Lou McDonald says Sinn Fein to ‘dust ourselves off’ after disappointing election results

37 minutes ago

How artificial intelligence could help farming become more efficient, sustainable

37 minutes ago

Vitamix recalls nearly 570,000 blender parts after dozens of reported injuries

37 minutes ago

Outrage over video of Israeli soldiers driving with injured Palestinian strapped to a jeep

37 minutes ago

Supermarkets could face billions in fines for grocery code breaches as Labor commits to reforms

37 minutes ago

Louth make history with one-point triumph over Cork

37 minutes ago

College comeback leads to Olympic dreams for 400-meter relay standout Kendall Ellis

37 minutes ago

Oilers’ Nugent-Hopkins absent from practice

37 minutes ago

30-year-old woman becomes homeowner after 5 years, TikTok video inspires Mzansi

37 minutes ago

Tomljanovic optimistic ahead of Wimbledon despite falling short in Birmingham

37 minutes ago

Expanding heat dome has 100 million people in 27 states bracing for extreme temperatures

37 minutes ago

Euro 2024: UEFA to up security after Ronaldo pitch invasions

37 minutes ago

Blue Jays' Orelvis Martinez gets 80-game ban for PED violation

37 minutes ago

Chris Jordan takes historic hat-trick as England thrash USA to reach semi-finals

37 minutes ago

Lando Norris despondent after ‘bad start’ costs him victory in Spain

37 minutes ago

Lewis Hamilton has no regrets over Ferrari switch despite Mercedes improvement

37 minutes ago

Free drinks and bratwurst – Harry Kane offered contract to join German minnows

37 minutes ago

Euro 2024 Golden Boot standings: Harry Kane, Jamal Musiala and others battle to be top scorer in Germany

37 minutes ago

Bride defended for replacing maid-of-honor who refused to buy her dress for wedding

37 minutes ago

How to Get Free Money on Cash App: Steps and Tips!

37 minutes ago

China Is Readying An 8-Cylinder Cruiser To Worry American V-Twins

37 minutes ago

Anthony O’Reilly, Flashy Irish Tycoon Who Led Heinz, Is Dead at 88

39 minutes ago

Rishi Sunak and wife Akshata richer than King Charles 'without lifting a finger'

43 minutes ago

Bird flu detected at second farm in NSW

43 minutes ago

NFL Hypocrisy Increases For Aaron Rodgers, Jets