6 September 2010

Ikea holds out hope?

| johnboy
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ikea [Photo by The Consumerist.]

A friend of mine is writing a play called “The Ikea Monologues” based on the idea that when a person finds themselves in Ikea buying furniture it’s often the result of a major personal trauma.

My own conviction that Ikea is a prelude to hell was confirmed a couple of years ago when an inexplicable trip to Ikea with my girlfriend of the time ended up making a lot more sense when she ditched me soon afterwards and moved into her own place. It’s important to have someone to push the trolley.

And yet for many of you flatpack swedish design is a religion.

So it’s worth pointing out that News Limited have a story on Ikea’s expansion plans.

Current plans are disappointingly (for the fans) just for three more in Melbourne, two in Sydney and one extra in Brisbane.

But there’s still two extra locations possible.

You never know your luck Canberra.

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I got lost in Rhodes IKEA not long after it was opened. Stupidly I didn’t follow the correct route and veered to where I thought I should go and deadset got lost, I had no idea which way I should go.
They’ve either modelled their store layout on an amusement park ride or Canberra…

The next IKEA is being built at Tempe on the Princes Highway and will be the headquarters for SE Asian operations – it will be bigger than Rhodes.

harvyk1 said :

Furthermore I would suggest that IKEA is looking more for low to middle income earners, thus having a higher proportion of high income earners probably wouldn’t sway them.

Are you insinuating that IKEA is not good enough for Canberrans? 😉

toriness said :

i find it astounding that IKEA is opening another 2 sydney stores when they recently closed two (moore park and blacktown) there.

I thought Blacktown IKEA was “relocated” to Rhodes? The Blacktown one was too small to start off with.

IKEA will not open any store unless the local population is 1 million or more. Its their policy.

i find it astounding that IKEA is opening another 2 sydney stores when they recently closed two (moore park and blacktown) there.

Ugh. Keep it out. Ikea is to home furnishing what Maccas is to fine food.

Pommy bastard5:45 pm 06 Sep 10

harvyk1 said :

From what I have heard about IKEA, they only set up shop in area’s with greater than 1 million people in population.

Perhaps they are only opening half a shop, or a very small one, or one which is only open four hours a day.

watto23 said :

I can understand why Ikea would hold out based on population, however that said I’d have thought the low unemployment, relatively high average income and also high disposable income in canberra could make it profitable.

Even a smaller store without all the stock on hand, but the ability to ship it down from Sydney in a couple of days and pick up and pay locally, especially for the lower turnover items.

However that said I’m sure Ikea have looked into this and probably don’t think it will make enpough money.

From what I have heard about IKEA, they only set up shop in area’s with greater than 1 million people in population.

Which means that we would need to double in size (I believe our pop is a little over 500,000 if you include QBN and our surrounding area’s) before IKEA would even think to look at us.

Whilst yes CBR does have low unemployment and high income, a person only needs so many bookshelves in their house. Furthermore I would suggest that IKEA is looking more for low to middle income earners, thus having a higher proportion of high income earners probably wouldn’t sway them.

While Canberra incomes are higher than average we have very, very few “high income earners”

Felix the Cat3:57 pm 06 Sep 10

troll-sniffer said :

http://thingsboganslike.wordpress.com/

Say no more, maaate, say no more.

Not sure what this link has to do with IKEA unless you are trying to say that Bogans like it?

Even a smaller store without all the stock on hand

That wouldn’t find IKEA’s business model, and businesses that don’t stick to their business model, don’t stay businesses for too long.

troll-sniffer2:19 pm 06 Sep 10

http://thingsboganslike.wordpress.com/

Say no more, maaate, say no more.

I don’t think we’ve got a hope in hell. The story claims they’ve got plans for another 6 over the next decade, with 2 already under construction – but I think the announcement of the locations of another 2 later in the year is referring to specific locations of 2 of those already announced 6 – not another 2 in addition to those.

Dunno if it’s just an urban myth, but I’ve heard that Ikea won’t open a store for less than 1 million population in a city. We don’t come close.

In the Ikea monologues – I hope they have a scene where the characters are zipped into the future, it would go something like.

Curtains open to an Antique shop. The year is 2115.

Man: “Oh my god, it has the original staples in it”
Woman: “Amazing – and the allen key nut is hardly burred”
Man (shaking head): “They don’t make them like they used to”.
Woman: “Did you know Ikea is the swedish word for one piece missing?”

I can understand why Ikea would hold out based on population, however that said I’d have thought the low unemployment, relatively high average income and also high disposable income in canberra could make it profitable.

Even a smaller store without all the stock on hand, but the ability to ship it down from Sydney in a couple of days and pick up and pay locally, especially for the lower turnover items.

However that said I’m sure Ikea have looked into this and probably don’t think it will make enpough money.

Kerryhemsley12:00 pm 06 Sep 10

Canberra has a love affair with Ikea but I suspect it is a bit like Krispy Kreme,infatuated when we don’t have it,indiferrent when we do.

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