Visitors to IKEA on its opening day told RiotACT the crowds were much smaller than they’d expected, and that there was no wait to get into the store when it opened for the first time.
The only part of the store that looked busy enough to cause any aggravation was the restaurant, where a substantial queue had formed well before lunchtime.
Shopper May Bennison (below) arrived just after the opening time of 9.30am with her baby daughter. She said it didn’t seem any busier than an IKEA in Sydney on a Saturday.
“They had the windy line-up thing that we had to walk through, but there was no one in it, so we walked straight through,” she said.
Ms Bennison said she and her daughter were able to get through the store very quickly.
“I was going to not come today because I thought it was going to be crazy and with a pram, but everyone I’d spoken to said they were going to come when the crowds died down, so I thought, if everyone’s doing that, I’m just going to come on the day it opens.”
Kim and Ross Morgan (pictured at top of page) were visiting Canberra for a night out and decided to duck into IKEA this morning.
“I didn’t realize it was opening day, and as we were driving across we realized, but I thought, no, I’m so close, we’re continuing,” Mrs Morgan said.
She said the crowds moved through fairly easily.
“I think the staff are really good in there. It’s their first day, so they’re happy, I suppose.”
Mr Morgan said they’d be back in a couple of months to see how they’re going.
“Maybe post-Christmas,” Ms Morgan said.
By late morning, the main carpark was still full and there was a trickle of people making their way across from the overflow parking at Costco, with the help of stop/slow men wearing cardboard IKEA hats.
There were queues at the main IKEA checkout area but customers looked reasonably happy about the waiting time.
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