Despite the Covid-19 crisis and the gradual reopening of the Israeli economy, Swedish furniture giant IKEA opened its sixth store in Israel today at Moshav Eshtaol near Beit Shemesh. The company has invested NIS 390 million in building the store and it is being opened despite the building violations committed during construction. The Jerusalem District Appeals Committee decided last week to overlook the contraventions of planning laws due to the jobs being created in this time of high unemployment.
The store covers 25,000 square meters and has 39 presentation halls with more than 8,000 products on sale. The new store has 380 employees including management, customer service, sales representatives and cashiers, logistics and warehouse personnel and catering staff. Outside the store are 900 free parking spaces.
IKEA's five existing stores in Israel are in Netanya, Rishon Lezion, Kiryat Ata (near Haifa), Beersheva and a kitchen store in Tel Aviv Port.
The new Eshtaol store, like all stores, will be subject to Ministry of Health coronavirus regulations with the number of customers allowed in the store at any one time limited and store staff required to take each customer's temperature before admitting them. Customers are required to wear masks.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on May 24, 2020
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