I visited Wayfair's first physical store and got major Ikea vibes — with a few surprises thrown in
- After more than two decades as an online-only retailer, Wayfair is getting into brick-and-mortar.
- In May, the housewares company opened its first-ever store outside Chicago.
- I visited the store to take a look and preferred the experience to an Ikea run.
For all of its 22 years in business, housewares retailer Wayfair has been online only.
That all changed in May when the company opened its first-ever brick-and-mortar store in the Chicago suburb of Wilmette, Illinois.
The 150,000 square-foot, two-story store features furniture, decor, appliances, and much more.
It's not every day that a $7.25 billion e-commerce brand takes the plunge into physical retail, so I decided to visit the store to take a look.
The renovation is crisp and inviting, with a main entrance for shoppers and an online order pickup area around back.
Like an Ikea, this Wayfair is part showroom, part store, with a selection of items to take home directly, or scan QR codes in-store and have items delivered.
I'll be curious to see if these take over on college campuses as the de-facto laundry carrier.
The layout flowed very naturally, and I never had trouble getting oriented.
I was surprised to see some larger sectionals, since my impression of Wayfair has skewed more toward smaller pieces.
Wayfair describes the collection as "French-country looks designed for real life."
Something about this display felt eerily like an e-commerce site come to life.
There was a time when I would have thought that Wayfair exclusively sold accent chairs and carpets. That's certainly not true now.
The more I walked around, the more I got the sense that I would need someone to help me process the sheer volume and range of options available.
Both games were playable, which will probably keep some kids happy while their parents talk about tile.
I could have spent an hour fiddling with different storage options, but alas, time was limited.
Wayfair calls this area "Market Square."
There was stemware for every occasion.
Shakers downstairs, bar carts upstairs.
I don't think I've ever considered the illuminating qualities of feathers.
Like many products in the store, scanning the QR code on an item would bring up a bunch of personalization options.
There were a few thoughtfully designed pieces that caught my eye, especially those with integrated storage, like the craft table.
I don't know how many styles of mattresses exist, but I'm pretty sure they're all represented in this room.
Fancy dog kennels, cat condos, even pet sofas.
The scale of home improvement projects just kept ticking up.
I saw some peel and stick tile too that would make for an easy kitchen backsplash project.
The shower head display reminded me more of a science museum than a home improvement store.
Here you could really mess with the different settings.
We don't usually think about the sheer variety of something so simple as a doorknob.
Do you need the fancy ice or the flatscreen display? So many choices.
There really are too many choices to make sometimes.
I'm not sure people would believe you if you told them, "I got this kitchen from Wayfair."
Here's where I'll admit I've never bought anything from Wayfair. Texture and durability are important qualities in choosing housewares, and that can be hard to convey online.
The closest thing I can compare it to is Ikea, but I preferred this shopping experience.
If Ikea skews more toward urban renters, Wayfair is trying to be the store for suburban homeowners.