Wayfair’s second full-line big-box store opened this week in Atlanta, and while it has some merchandising updates from its inaugural outpost in the Chicagoland market, one thing hasn’t changed: the $12.5 billion online home furnishings retailer’s goal to become a true omnichannel player with a fleet of physical locations.

At 150,000 square feet with all 18 merchandising classifications in the Wayfair universe represented, the Atlanta store—it’s located in a shopping complex north of downtown—is once again the physical manifestation of Wayfair’s massive online presence.

According to Liza Lefkowski, Wayfair’s vice president of curation, brands and stores, the new location picks up on some of the refinements that have been made since the Wilmette, Illinois store—about 45 minutes north of Chicago—opened nearly two years ago. Unlike its predecessor, this new one is on one floor, which meant rearranging some departments.

At the two entrances, there is a larger focus on seasonal merchandise, right now centered on outdoor goods. It will continue to shift as the calendar turns, but will largely be take-with merchandise, another change in strategy from the original Chicago plan. In general, carry-out goods throughout the store are more of a focus, says Lefkowski—everything from home decor items to small furniture like tables, desks and even RTA Adirondack chairs: “If you can fit it in your car, we’d like you to take it home with you that day.”

Fulfillment for larger items that need to be delivered is handled by a local Wayfair distribution center, a model being used in Wilmette. Lefkowski said the company expects overall business in the region to see a bump, driven by the store, just as has happened in the Chicagoland area.

Furniture continues to be merchandised by style, with small room vignettes highlighting each area. Wayfair’s own brands, including Joss & Main, AllModern and Birch Lane, are mixed into the assortments, but its upscale label Perigold is not on display, its distribution being kept to its own dedicated stores and DTC channels.

Home renovation, including kitchen and bath fixtures and accessories, is toward the back of the store but gets prominent floor space and an adjacent design studio. As in Chicago, it includes some products with running water.

A few aspects of the store are localized for Atlanta, says Lefkowski. Bedding tends to be a little lighter to reflect the warmer climate, and Wayfair has worked with local artists for decor items like wall art and candles that reflect the region.

The Atlanta outpost kicked off a soft launch earlier this week, while its grand opening will be in mid-April. Meanwhile, Wayfair is already deep into its next stores. This June it will open a smaller-footprint location—69,000 square feet—in Columbus, Ohio, followed by a full-size one in Denver in the fourth quarter. In early 2027 it will open in Yonkers, New York, just north of the Bronx, in a lifestyle-type center, giving it another format to test and study.

Once all five stores are up and running, Wayfair will be closer to that goal of being a true omnichannel retailer. But it still has a long way to go.

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Warren Shoulberg is the former editor in chief for several leading B2B publications. He has been a guest lecturer at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business; received honors from the International Furnishings and Design Association and the Fashion Institute of Technology; and been cited by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN and other media as a leading industry expert. His Retail Watch columns offer deep industry insights on major markets and product categories.