• IKEA is opening a new “plan and order point with pick-up” store in Florence, Kentucky.
• The new store concept will focus on design support for projects like kitchens and bedrooms.
• Located on Mall Road, the store is scheduled to open in the spring of 2026.
• Same-day pickup and the company’s iconic food offerings will not be available at this location.

IKEA, the Sweden-based home furnishing retailer, is bringing a new type of shopping experience to Northern Kentucky next year. But it’s not bringing meatballs.

The company is opening a “plan and order point with pick-up” store in Florence to bring “the IKEA experience closer to more residents of the tri-state area,” according to a news release.

“I’m beyond excited to welcome customers to our new plan and order point in Florence next spring,” Susan Blackstock, IKEA market manager, said. “This new store location is perfect for customers who are looking to purchase affordable home furnishings, plan new design projects, and create a home they love. IKEA Florence brings our signature design solutions to the Cincinnati community – making it more accessible, more convenient, and of course, more affordable.”

Here’s what to know.

IKEA announces plans to bring new store concept to Northern Kentucky

IKEA is opening a “plan and order point with pick-up” store in Florence, and the format will focus on face-to-face interaction with customers. Shoppers will have the opportunity to meet with an IKEA employee “to plan and order home furnishing solutions that may require design support – such as kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms.”

“With this location, we are increasing accessibility to the brand and meeting customers where they are and how they like to shop,” the release said.

When is IKEA opening in Florence?

The new store will open sometime in spring 2026.

Where will the IKEA store be located in Florence?

The new IKEA store will be located right across from the Florence Mall on Mall Road and cover 4,200 square feet of leased retail space.

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Will same-day pick up be available at the IKEA store in Florence?

Customers can arrange home delivery or pick-up at a time that is convenient, but same-day pick up is not available, as all orders need to be placed in advance.

Online shoppers will have the option to pick up qualifying orders by selecting IKEA Florence as their preferred pick-up location at checkout.

Will IKEA Florence sell meatballs and other food options?

The Florence store will not sell its iconic meatballs and other food offerings, according to the news release. Shoppers will have to visit the West Chester Township’s conventional store, which opened in 2008, to satisfy their cravings.

How many ‘plan and order point with pick-up’ stores does IKEA have?

IKEA has already opened more than 20 “plan and order point with pick-up” stores in 13 other states, with several more slated to open within the next couple of weeks.

IKEA: Furniture and meatballs: IKEA opening new locations in 2025 and 2026. Here’s where.

Where is the closest IKEA store to Louisville?

The closest IKEA store to the Louisville area is in West Chester Township in Ohio, located at 9500 Ikea Way. The new Florence store will mark the second location in Greater Cincinnati.

Cincinnati Enquirer reporter Aaron Valdez contributed. Reach Marina Johnson at Marina.Johnson@courier-journal.com.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – Kentucky has one of the highest child abuse rates in the country, with data from the Child Maltreatment 2023 Report showing about 14 out of every 1,000 children in the Commonwealth experienced some form of abuse or neglect.

Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky is working to change that through its two-day Upstream Academy training program designed to build a statewide network of advocates.

According to Norton Children’s, Kentucky’s child abuse rate is the fourth highest in the country. Leaders say socioeconomic factors contribute to the problem.

“Socioeconomics can be a part of child abuse. People are stressed, incomes are low, things are happening so that can actually be a cause of it. It could be, you know, their past. They’ve been abused so they’re abusing their children,” said Rebecca Cantrell, an Upstream Academy trainee.

Training creates advocate network

Cantrell, who adopted her own daughter, attended the training in Lexington on Thursday.

“If it’s not talked about it’s not fixed, so if we can talk about it we can help prevent it,” Cantrell said. “If there’s any way I can prevent it I am going to try.”

The training aims to teach advocates how to recognize warning signs of abuse and how to make reports. Participants also learn about available resources in their communities.

“Get to know the advocates in your town. Get to know the people that you can get resources from to help even your neighbor,” Cantrell said.

Statewide expansion planned

Jill Seyfred, Executive Director of Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky, said the organization’s goal is to train at least one person from each county.

“Our goal is to train at least one person from each county and then that person will go out and conduct trainings on child abuse prevention activities and then it’ll be a ripple effect,” Seyfred said.

When complete, 120 people will be trained with tools to help prevent child abuse across Kentucky.

“We know that there are people out there who are interested in doing this work and helping us,” Seyfred said.

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Mark Pope began his press conference with congratulations for Louisville, but quickly turned to a brutally honest assessment of his own team, calling the performance “extremely poorly” and an “incredibly disappointing” product for Kentucky basketball.

But the entire game —and Kentucky’s core issue —was summed up by one stat line.

Louisville had 20 assists and 6 turnovers. Kentucky had 14 assists and 14 turnovers.

“The 20 to 6 compared to the 14-14 tells the really the whole story of the game,” Pope said.

The Wildcats were “sticky with the ball,” as Pope put it, and completely abandoned their offensive principles. The result was a 20-point deficit and a final score that wasn’t as close as it looked. The Cats were able to get it to 4, but bad shot selection and bad defense allowed the Cardinals to end on an 8-4 spurt over the last 3 minutes.

How Kentucky got “punished”

Pope was clear that this wasn’t just a bad shooting night; it was a failure of execution that led to a confession you hate to hear, but know it is true:

“We’re going to lose a 20-to-6, 14-to-14 game. We’re just going to lose it,” Pope said. “And… we got punished for not playing it the right way.”

That punishment was clear. Louisville scored 19 points off turnovers and had 11 steals, constantly hounding Kentucky’s primary scorers. Otega Oweh, who finished with 5 turnovers on 4-for-13 shooting, was a primary target of the Cardinals’ defense.

“I thought they were physical with them. I thought they brought a crowd. They did everything we didn’t do,” Pope said of the plan against Oweh. “They were really good at bringing a crowd and… making them play through multiple defenders.”

Kentucky has a tune-up against Wright State on Friday, and it is really needed after the overall display put on tape last night. The good news is they still were in the game after playing so badly for long stretches. So, if you are a silver lining kind of fan, there you go.