IKEA Announces Early Opening Date In Centennial

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (CBS4) - Listen up IKEA shoppers -- the giant store plans to open its doors in Colorado much earlier than first anticipated.

The Swedish furniture chain announced Tuesday the store in Centennial will open July 27 -- mid-summer rather than in the fall.

IKEA says crews were able to pour cement and get landscaping done without have to worry about frozen ground or snow thanks to the mild weather. The permitting process also went smoothly because the land was already earmarked for a big box retailer.

IKEA has a huge showroom floor but also stocks all the furniture so shoppers can take it home when they leave.

It's not uncommon for shoppers to camp out for an IKEA grand opening.

"The store with the longest campout time was our store in Sacramento in 2006; someone showed up 3 1/2 weeks in advance," Joseph Roth with IKEA said. "After that we decided it was too early, so now we allow 48 hours in advance."

It's estimated each IKEA store sells between $90 million and $100 million worth of merchandise every year. That translates into an increase in sales taxes for Centennial.