[GreatTallNorth2]

There have been rumours for quite some time that IKEA was looking to build a store in London. Many Londoners travel to Burlington to get their Swedish fix. Which city do you think will have the next IKEA or what cities are going to get another IKEA?

[fortroad]

Is there one in Winnipeg?

[flar]

I think Ikea only locates in areas with 1 million+ people.

[miketoronto]

I really don't get the obsession with IKEA. I have one ten min from me, and I have only been there a couple times. My computer desk(which we don't really like, but my sister insisted on getting) is from them, and I bought a nice shelf. But other then that I really never find anything in there. Everything is so cheap and falls apart.

I can understand looking through there once in a while for the odd object. But I don't know how people furnish their entire homes in it.

You can get way more nice looking cheap stuff elsewhere :)

But if London wants one thats great.

I still don't understand why Toronto has three or four IKEA's, when most metro areas only get one.

[feepa]

you know you've acheived real good city status when IKEA decides to move it. All that wonderful furniture that lasts a little longer then the car ride home. :shrug:

[big W]

I still don't understand why Toronto has three or four IKEA's, when most metro areas only get one.

It might be due to the fact that the GTA has 5.7 million (make that closer to 10 for Southern Ontario) vs other metros in the country being significantly smaller.

[PhilippeMtl]

Montreal has 2 ikea.
(Centre-West and South Shore)

But who cares?

[Only The Lonely..]

Who gives a shit about Ikea. If I want cheap furniture I'll check out the Salvation Army.

[harls]

We've got one in Ottawa, and I think I've been there 500 times since I moved here. My wife's obsessed with it.

[Blitz]

They just built one in metro Detroit after all these years, so I can't see London getting one anytime soon.

[WHISTLERINMUSKOKA]

Ikea, Swedish for Wal-Mart. Anyway Ikea is great for people just starting out, first time buyers and students. It serves its purpose. I recently just got rid of all my Ikea furniture which served its purpose. When I moved to my new place in July I went to Ikea to pick up a few items that are kind of just stand ins until I find what I really want. I'm sure that a large number of shoppers use it the same way. The only thing I still have left is the cutlery which to me made more sense for $10 then buying disposable for $5. I also think I kea was the first furniture store to design and market towards small condo spaces which is why it has remained popular in the Toronto market.

I'm now established enough to shop at places like Up-country, casa life and e-q3, still a few promotions off DeBoers.

[habsfan]

Montreal has 2 ikea.
(Centre-West and South Shore)

But who cares?

Not to mention their gigantic Distribution centre in Brossard. That building is close to 2 million sq. ft.

[Only The Lonely..]

I'm just not sure I understand Ikea's business model, maybe someone with a background in marketing can explain it to me.

I've never understood the chain's obsession with cities 1 million +. The Canadian market is pretty small, can they really afford to say no to cities like Winnipeg (715,000 metro), Quebec City (717,000 metro), and London Ont (420,000 metro)?

If Winnipeg can support a Porsche, and a Jaguar dealership, why not a store that sells furniture made out of particle board?

Are the fixed costs for operating an Ikea store (i.e. electricity, water, property tax, etc) so much different for them compared to a Wal-Mart or a Sears?

If it’s the prestige factor, I didn't think any of Ikea's customers consider it to be a fancy brand.

If it's about culture or the mark of being a cosmopolitan city, I’d think I would rather have our internationally renowned ballet than a discount furniture store.

I really didn't see anything special about their store in Minneapolis.

Maybe I’m just a simple prairie bumpkin, but I don't understand Ikea at all.

[Greco Roman]

Maybe I’m just a simple prairie bumpkin, but I don't understand Ikea at all.

No you are not, but now this comment will feed all the trolls who will scream how Winnipeg can't support anything, similar to the hockey thread.

[feepa]

I'm just not sure I understand Ikea's business model, maybe someone with a background in marketing can explain it to me.

I've never understood the chain's obsession with cities 1 million +. The Canadian market is pretty small, can they really afford to say no to cities like Winnipeg (715,000 metro), Quebec City (717,000 metro), and London Ont (420,000 metro)?

If Winnipeg can support a Porsche, and a Jaguar dealership, why not a store that sells furniture made out of particle board?

Are the fixed costs for operating an Ikea store (i.e. electricity, water, property tax, etc) so much different for them compared to a Wal-Mart or a Sears?

If it’s the prestige factor, I didn't think any of Ikea's customers consider it to be a fancy brand.

If it's about culture or the mark of being a cosmopolitan city, I’d think I would rather have our internationally renowned ballet than a discount furniture store.

I really didn't see anything special about their store in Minneapolis.

Maybe I’m just a simple prairie bumpkin, but I don't understand Ikea at all.

Theres nothing special about IKEA. If your city or town-like city doesn't have one yet, COUNT YOURSELF lucky.
Its the walmart of the furniture world.

[harls]

I've never understood the chain's obsession with cities 1 million +. The Canadian market is pretty small, can they really afford to say no to cities like Winnipeg (715,000 metro), Quebec City (717,000 metro), and London Ont (420,000 metro)?



I think Quebec City had one in the past, but it closed.

[The Chemist]

Walmart of the furniture world? I think not. At least IKEA has business ethics.

Their furniture is inexpesive, stylish, and in my experience, anyway, durable. I'd shop at IKEA even if I were rich and could afford more expensive furniture.

[MolsonExport]

I'm just not sure I understand Ikea's business model, maybe someone with a background in marketing can explain it to me.

I've never understood the chain's obsession with cities 1 million +. The Canadian market is pretty small, can they really afford to say no to cities like Winnipeg (715,000 metro), Quebec City (717,000 metro), and London Ont (420,000 metro)?

If Winnipeg can support a Porsche, and a Jaguar dealership, why not a store that sells furniture made out of particle board?

Are the fixed costs for operating an Ikea store (i.e. electricity, water, property tax, etc) so much different for them compared to a Wal-Mart or a Sears?

If it’s the prestige factor, I didn't think any of Ikea's customers consider it to be a fancy brand.

If it's about culture or the mark of being a cosmopolitan city, I’d think I would rather have our internationally renowned ballet than a discount furniture store.

I really didn't see anything special about their store in Minneapolis.

Maybe I’m just a simple prairie bumpkin, but I don't understand Ikea at all.


Ikea used to have stores in smaller urban centres, including Halifax (Dartmouth), Quebec City, Victoria, and Winnipeg, back in the 1980s.

[West_aust]

Montreal has 2 ikea.
(Centre-West and South Shore)

But who cares?

The second one in Montreal was much needed. I made a school work about IKEA and went to meet some of the stores manager, and the one on Cavendish was always overcrowded, overselling and out of stock before the second one was opened.

I guess there is many people shopping there in the montreal area.

I'm a fan of ikea, design, cheap, and they last until you move (don't disassemble and re-assemble ikea furnitures, it's not made for it)

[Calgarian]

Are you serious? honestly who the hell cares about IKEA? is it really that much of a status symbol to have a store that sells cheap ass plastic laminated, particle board furniture? IKEA sucks!

[MolsonExport]

"IKEA...Swedish for Shitty Furniture"

[keninhalifax]

I will never understand the IKEA-haters. Their furniture has real appeal to the average consumer and is reasonably costed. Most importantly, their products are very practical and user-friendly. The company is also a fantastic example of marketing ingenuity -- when they started, the idea of boxed furniture seemed outlandish, but they popularized the concept and almost singlehandedly commenced the 'DIY' home craze. Today they've achieved cult status. I don't profess to using them for all my furniture needs, but when I want something cheap and practical I will swallow my pride and head over to their warehouse, putting up with the insane lineups and crowds of soccer mothers.

[Coldrsx]

Ikea is what it is.....basically H&M for your house.....use it for a while then buy new. It is trendy and decent for what the price is.

Winnipeg shoudl have one....and id bet be one of their better performing stores given the demo.

[Only The Lonely..]

I guess I don't understand what's magical about a city of 1 million verses one of 3/4 million.

If Ikea markets itself to students and first time home owners, I would think they would especially want to be in Winnipeg. The city is host to both universities and a major community college. There must be at least somewhere in the neighbourhood 40 - 50 thousand students living in the city.

As a business student myself, I would open up stores in cities of 100,000 or more if I had things my way.

I don't shop at Ikea, nor do I care if Winnipeg gets one. However, I think as consumers we are richer when we have choice, thus it would be nice to have another furniture retailer in the Peg.

[jeffwhit]

Calgary had Ikea way before it was a million people. My parents were shopping there when I was a really little kid, when the city was barely 600k. I don't know where this 1million figure officially comes from.

[MaThQc]

I'm just not sure I understand Ikea's business model, maybe someone with a background in marketing can explain it to me.

I've never understood the chain's obsession with cities 1 million +. The Canadian market is pretty small, can they really afford to say no to cities like Winnipeg (715,000 metro), Quebec City (717,000 metro), and London Ont (420,000 metro)?

If Winnipeg can support a Porsche, and a Jaguar dealership, why not a store that sells furniture made out of particle board?

Are the fixed costs for operating an Ikea store (i.e. electricity, water, property tax, etc) so much different for them compared to a Wal-Mart or a Sears?

If it’s the prestige factor, I didn't think any of Ikea's customers consider it to be a fancy brand.

If it's about culture or the mark of being a cosmopolitan city, I’d think I would rather have our internationally renowned ballet than a discount furniture store.

I really didn't see anything special about their store in Minneapolis.

Maybe I’m just a simple prairie bumpkin, but I don't understand Ikea at all.

Si on compte toutes les personnes qui peuvent se déplacer à Québec (comme le monde le fait pour le IKEA à Montréal), on peut atteindre les 2 millions de personnes avec l'Est et le centre du Québec.

[the rock the motard]

Si on compte toutes les personnes qui peuvent se déplacer à Québec (comme le monde le fait pour le IKEA à Montréal), on peut atteindre les 2 millions de personnes avec l'Est et le centre du Québec.



les gens du centres du Québec préfèrent se rendre a Montréal... je l'sais, j'suis née la ...:)

[mersar]

Not to mention Edmonton, which has also had one for years from what I recall. And they aren't near 1 million in population either.

And the obsession people have with it is quite funny... my sister unfortunately is one of them, and it seems trips to Ikea would probably rank among her list of best days of her life.

[MaThQc]

Je parlais plutôt de la région de Portneuf et de Trois-Rivières.

Et le choix serait pas trop difficile... traffic à Montréal sur la route et aux caisses, ou le traffic de Québec... :P

[Greco Roman]

Ikea used to have stores in smaller urban centres, including Halifax (Dartmouth), Quebec City, Victoria, and Winnipeg, back in the 1980s.


To my recolection, I don't ever remember an IKEA in Winnipeg in the 80's. I would have known about it since my mother is also obsessed with that store for reasons I will never understand.

[Coldrsx]

Edmonton has had an IKEA since i can recall.....which is 1987 in WEM....and we were much smaller then.

[the rock the motard]

Je parlais plutôt de la région de Portneuf et de Trois-Rivières.

Et le choix serait pas trop difficile... traffic à Montréal sur la route et aux caisses, ou le traffic de Québec... :P

Pour préciser, je viens de Shawinigan. Je peux t'assurer que la plupart des gens de Shawinigan et Trois-Rivières que je connais prévilégient Montréal a Québec...

Québec a un peut la réputation d'être perdu dans l'nord...(même si ce n'est pas le cas).

C'est le lègue de la centralisation. Tout ce qui est loin de Montréal est d'un autre monde.

Je crois que pour Québec, seul les villes situés au nord et a l'est de la ville ont un potentiel...

[flar]

Well I didn't know Edmonton and Calgary have had Ikeas for a while now, so maybe the 1 million figure is a myth. I would say Winnipeg and Quebec are the next candidates then. Ikea doesn't want to stretch their brand too thin. It wouldn't be so desirable if they were everywhere--people always want what they don't have. It's clear that Ikea will only open new locations in markets where success is a sure bet.

[jeffwhit]

Edmonton has had an IKEA since i can recall.....which is 1987 in WEM....and we were much smaller then.

When did it move from WEM to the Whitemud location?

[MaThQc]

Selon les statistiques, 14,7% (853 personnes) des gens qui quittent la Mauricie, c'est pour Québec, contre 18,5% (1 073 personnes) pour Montréal. La différence n'est pas énorme.

Source : http://www.stat.gouv.qc.ca/donstat/societe/demographie/migrt_poplt_imigr/migir_ra_2004_2005_sortants.htm

[Coldrsx]

When did it move from WEM to the Whitemud location?

i cant recall, but id guess early 90's....maybe 1993 ish?

[the rock the motard]

Elle n'est pas énorme, c'est vrai. Mais elle est tout de même la...

Il est indéniable par contre que Québec a des aventages sur Montréal comme le trafic et aussi la situation économique. Je crois que le taux de chomage a Québec est plus bas qu'a Montréal d'ailleur...

Mais malgré tout, j'ai quitté Shawinigan pour aller a Sherbrooke... Je suis pas dans tes statistiques :P


Merci pour l'info statistique en passant..

[entheosfog]

I find Ikea to be hit and miss. I like the low prices of some of the stuff compared to elsewhere, but some of their stuff is a little too cheap. Ikea is good for what it is but for some things, I'd buy elsewhere.
It does fill quite a useful purpose for a lot of people, though.
Sure it would be nice to do all my shopping at Urban Barn or whatever, but a lot of that stuff is a little out of reach for me...

[macca]

There were rumors a few years back that Saskatoon might get an IKEA. If I recall correctly, a representative from the company informed our poor, cheap-furniture-mega-mart-less city that IKEA does not locate in city's with less than 500k citizens. Again, I could be wrong, but that's what I remember. It was aproximately 3 to 5 years ago, when a new big box centre was proposed. Fear not, the lead tenant became Wal-Mart, and peace was restored to the masses, most of whom continue their monthly pilgimage to Edmonton's exurban shopping and dining mecca.

[miketoronto]

I think it has to do with pop growth. They may not open in Winnipeg or Quebec City, because there populations are not growing very fast, meaning not alot of people are buying new furniture all the time.

In cities with tons of people moving in like Edmonton, it makes sense to open, because you got thousands coming in each year who need to start somewhere.

I wonder how people did it before IKEA? Oh yeah, they saved up their money and actually bought nice furniture that lasts :) My parents saved up and bought are dining room set 30 years ago, and we still have it. Nice wood furniture.

[Only The Lonely..]

Winnipeg is going through one of the biggest real estate booms in its history. New home construction is at all all time high. So much so, that the city is building a new 11,000 house suburb (I know, and everyone thought sprawl only occured in Calgary).

Don't most people buy new furniture for their new home?

[entheosfog]

I think it has to do with pop growth. They may not open in Winnipeg or Quebec City, because there populations are not growing very fast, meaning not alot of people are buying new furniture all the time.

In cities with tons of people moving in like Edmonton, it makes sense to open, because you got thousands coming in each year who need to start somewhere.

I wonder how people did it before IKEA? Oh yeah, they saved up their money and actually bought nice furniture that lasts :) My parents saved up and bought are dining room set 30 years ago, and we still have it. Nice wood furniture.

So you're saying someone like me should just forget about having a kitchen table for the next 6 or so months until I can afford a swank kitchen table that will last upwards of 30 years, when an el-cheapo from Ikea would do the trick in the meantime? An expensive table is not really a priority for me right now. I'd just want something that will suffice for right now and I'd rather buy it at Ikea.

[Boris2k7]

I got my desk from Ikea, and it has a full wood top and everything, none of that particle board shit. And even then, there are tons of places that sell particle board furniture. However, even Ikea's worst furniture is better then their nearest competitors.

Whatever, I don't like wood much anyways. I'll have it as an accent or trim but not for all my furniture. I'd prefer more fiberglass, metal, and other modern materials, all of which Ikea offers at reasonable prices.

We had furniture in our house that also lasted 30+ years. Sturdy as hell. Too bad they were all old pieces of shit that looked terribly ugly. In fact we just got rid of almost all of it. Just because things last long does not make them desirable.

[circle33]

Then there's JYSK (http://www.jysk.ca/), which is sortta like IKEA, only way crappier. They've just begun to invade Ontario.

[Boris2k7]

Our Jysk store is right across the parking lot from our Ikea. I agree, crappy stuff in there. There is also an Urban Barn only a few blocks away.

[habsfan]

Je parlais plutôt de la région de Portneuf et de Trois-Rivières.

Et le choix serait pas trop difficile... traffic à Montréal sur la route et aux caisses, ou le traffic de Québec... :P

En terme de distance, Trois Rivières à Boucherville c'est 3 KM de plus que de se rendre à Québec, et justement avec le Nouveau IKEA à Boucherville, les gens de T-R n'ont pas à se tapper le traffic de la ville!

[jeffwhit]

Our Jysk store is right across the parking lot from our Ikea. I agree, crappy stuff in there. There is also an Urban Barn only a few blocks away.

Urban Barn's price points are definitely a significant step up from Ikea. For example, paying $800 for a bed frame instead of 300 at Ikea. JYSK is a just shit.

[jeremy_haak]

dp

[jeremy_haak]

Walmart of the furniture world? I think not. At least IKEA has business ethics.

Their furniture is inexpesive, stylish, and in my experience, anyway, durable. I'd shop at IKEA even if I were rich and could afford more expensive furniture.

You might want to read up on their corporate structure (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikea#Corporate_structure). That hardly sounds ethical to me.

[SpongeG]

i remember the IKEA in WEM in the 80's - my sister bought some blow up cactus and fruit there - i bought a chair and some stuff there - that i still have

i remember seeing Victoria's IKEA but never went inside it

Designers love IKEA's kitchens - reading elle decor, met home etc . you often read that their kitchens are from IKEA

they have some good stuff - and you usually pay more for it - just get the solid wood stuff instead of the particle board - they have a good range of price points


jysk is pretty sad - its not really part of the european operation and therefore they have different suppliers - two friends of mine have worked there - and they have said that due to restrictions they cannot get a lot of the product that the european stores carry and get the stuff from china instead

urban barn is soso - but i have a friend in retail so he has access to prices and so the markup is insane - that and the store he works at carries a lot of stuff that other stores carry but his seems to be much cheaper at his store - like there was a couch at his store for $799 the exact same one at Couch potato was $1299

[SpongeG]

doesn't winnipeg have some of the highest IKEA catalogue sales?

[Pegger5]

If I remember right, The furniture shops and manufacturers in Winnipeg vetoed IKEA back in the mid eighties. This included Palliser which is the second largest furniture manufacturer in North America...
There are also a lot of independants like Penthouse, Brick furniture (Not "The Brick") etc...

Politics blocked IKEA.. These companies influenced city council...

Winnipeg used to be the fourth largest city in the early eighties...

[alps]

Is the 1 million population requirement thing true? Dartmouth, Nova Scotia got an Ikea in the 1970s, back when their population was never any more than 60,000 (it's closed now).

[Pegger5]

Is the 1 million population requirement thing true? Dartmouth, Nova Scotia got an Ikea in the 1970s, back when their population was never any more than 60,000 (it's closed now).

Not true. Another Myth created to support the cities that have a million people.

Calgary only reached a miliion this people last summer.
In 1988 (Olympic year) Calgary's population was 620,000 (They had an IKEA then)

[SpongeG]

in LA there are only 5 IKEAS so that would be about 2 million per IKEA?

[alps]

Not true. Another Myth created to support the cities that have a million people.

Calgary only reached a miliion this people last summer.
In 1988 (Olympic year) Calgary's population was 620,000 (They had an IKEA then)

Thanks for clearing that up...and Calgary's population has grown a lot more percentage-wise than I thought!

[aastra]

In the old days I'm pretty sure some Ikea products were sold in non-Ikea stores. Someone else can confirm or deny but I seem to recall this was the case.

[dubiousmike]

I'm betting the next one goes in Langford or Colwood, west of Victoria.

Calgary's new IKEA is monolithic. It looks like an airport terminal and has its own freeway exit.

[ldoto]

I thing London because it is the capital of shopping of southwestern Ontario. And it closes to Kitchener, Windsor, and Sarnia. Off the top of my head total pop in area is about 1.2 million.:D

[Blitz]

^Yeah but Windsorites already go to Detroit's IKEA so can't really count them. Kitchener is about as close to Burlington as it is to London.

[Rob D]

There was some talk about 10 years ago that IKEA was considering mini-stores (about the size of a neighbourhood Safeway) in cities like Saskatoon and Regina. The idea was to have the most popular selling items on display as well as a lot of the knick-knack items. A customer would place their furniture orders and they would be shipped from the neareast IKEA warehouse such as Calgary and Edmonton. Obviously they haven't done this.

It is almost unheard of for Saskatchewanians to come to Calgary or Edmonton without shopping at IKEA for something. In fact many times if someone knows you're going to Alberta they will send an IKEA shopping list with you. I know way too many people with this IKEA obsession which personally I do not understand.

IKEA is a great place to get ideas though.

[Arriviste]

Ikea is shit. It perpetuates our wasteful living habits in the products it sells, and the lifestyle that it glorifies.

[SpongeG]

there was talk that the okanagan was going to get an IKEA - some businessman started that rumour

they have smaller "lifestyle" IKEA's in the UK - sort of like the "lifestyle" Hoem Depot in West vancouver perhaps and the one proposed for Kitsilano

[Daver]

IKEA is in existance basically for a corporate tax benefit. The company doesn't have an aggressive Wal-Mart type of business plan because it grows only as fast as it's parent companies will allow. Despite IKEA's Swedish roots, the owner/franchiser of the IKEA trademark and concept is a Dutch-registered company, Inter IKEA Systems. The operator/franchisee of the majority of the stores worldwide is a separate entity, the IKEA Group, a private group of companies owned by a Dutch charitable foundation.

Of the 250 IKEA stores in 34 countries, 221 are run by the IKEA Group. The remaining 29 stores are run by franchisees outside of the IKEA Group.

INGKA Holding is the ultimate parent company for all IKEA companies, including the industrial group Swedwood but excluding Inter IKEA Systems. INGKA Holding is wholly owned by the Stichting INGKA Foundation, which is a charitable foundation registered in the Netherlands. In May 2006, the business magazine The Economist reported that the foundation was the world's wealthiest charity with a net worth estimated at exceeding US$36 billion (more than the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation), although the foundation's purpose is largely corporate tax-avoidance and anti-takeover protection for IKEA.

[LordMandeep]

There are 4 In the Toronto area.

Two in Toronto, another one just above Toronto and another one to the east of it in Burlington. I think another one could open a smaller of course in downtown or in the east (Oshawa).

They are interesting store, and people love it. Not to expensive, it alright i guesse.

[yeeg]

Ikea is shit. It perpetuates our wasteful living habits in the products it sells, and the lifestyle that it glorifies.Bravo!! I wholeheartedly agree!!

[yeeg]

In the old days I'm pretty sure some Ikea products were sold in non-Ikea stores. Someone else can confirm or deny but I seem to recall this was the case.

I believe you are correct...Some of the items they sold "offsite" were called "KRAP", "SHEIT" and "GAARBIGE"...

[RWin]

Our Jysk store is right across the parking lot from our Ikea.

Theres another one in part of the old IKEA.

[RWin]

So you're saying someone like me should just forget about having a kitchen table for the next 6 or so months until I can afford a swank kitchen table that will last upwards of 30 years, when an el-cheapo from Ikea would do the trick in the meantime? An expensive table is not really a priority for me right now. I'd just want something that will suffice for right now and I'd rather buy it at Ikea.

Our first table was from IKEA - 12 years ago. We still use it. Forget the swank kitchen table. You can't take it with you when you die anyway.

[WHY-T]

I find a lot of IKEA products are aimed towards efficient optimal use of space. They are more suitable for people with smaller living quarters, not really for your 8000 sq.ft. suburban house.

While I don't shop at IKEA, I do like to walk through their showrooms once in a while to look at some of the design ideas.

[drew]

If I remember right, The furniture shops and manufacturers in Winnipeg vetoed IKEA back in the mid eighties. This included Palliser which is the second largest furniture manufacturer in North America...
There are also a lot of independants like Penthouse, Brick furniture (Not "The Brick") etc...

Politics blocked IKEA.. These companies influenced city council...


Meh, IKEA is at most a once a year required shopping adventure.

Unless you really like their furniture, kitchens, and other larger ticket items the rest of the cheap shit they have there is well represented at other stores like Canadian Tire, Jysk, Stupidstore, etc.

[flatlander]

Can't beat the meatballs and discount food.

And good Christmas decorations.

[Boris2k7]

Can't beat the meatballs and discount food.

And good Christmas decorations.

I prefer the cheap pasta myself...

[SpongeG]

i live 5 minutes away from one - so i go monthly

mostly just to look or to get a hot dog

or pick up tea light candles - i have an old catalog and the 100 pack was a bargain at $13.99 :haha: now the 100 are $3.99 or less

what i always notice about their sale is they bring in non regular items and than give them prices that are fake cause they are not regular stock items but items brough in for sale

like i noticed a chair - they had it Reg. Price $449 sale price $199 - but i had never seen that chair before and it wasn't in the catalogue at all

also what i hate is they have nice cheap decent frames but the frames are IKEA sized and only match the IKEA posters

8x10 is a pretty standard frame as is 11x14 - but IKEA never has any frames that size - they have their own IKEA sizes

sort of like how they used to have their own beds and bedding sizes - that never matched typical north american sizes

[tv-man]

I think Quebec City had one in the past, but it closed.

YEP !

Je confirme le magasin a fermé en 96/97 environ ... et il y a des rumeurs aux deux ans annoncant le retour d'IKEA à Québec

[BlackRedGold]

I really don't get the obsession with IKEA. I have one ten min from me, and I have only been there a couple times. My computer desk(which we don't really like, but my sister insisted on getting) is from them, and I bought a nice shelf. But other then that I really never find anything in there. Everything is so cheap and falls apart.

You've only been a couple of times but you can never really find anything in there? The only things you have from them is a desk and a shelf but everything is cheap and falls apart?


I can understand looking through there once in a while for the odd object. But I don't know how people furnish their entire homes in it.


But then again you don't know how to furnish an entire home anyways.

[BlackRedGold]

I'm just not sure I understand Ikea's business model, maybe someone with a background in marketing can explain it to me.

I've never understood the chain's obsession with cities 1 million +. The Canadian market is pretty small, can they really afford to say no to cities like Winnipeg (715,000 metro), Quebec City (717,000 metro), and London Ont (420,000 metro)?

It's a global business. They can choose to expand to huge cities in Asia or to smaller Canadian metros.

If Winnipeg can support a Porsche, and a Jaguar dealership, why not a store that sells furniture made out of particle board?

Because those businesses sell to a small segment of the population and exist because of large markup. An Ikea is a mass market business that depends upon huge volume.

Are the fixed costs for operating an Ikea store (i.e. electricity, water, property tax, etc) so much different for them compared to a Wal-Mart or a Sears?

Yes. New Ikea stores are far bigger then Wal-Marts. The Ottawa Ikea had been planning to expand their current location to 300,000 square feet. That's more then double the size of a Wal-Mart.

Also, unlike Wal-Mart it depends upon a far greater number of individual customers since you don't buy furniture on a weekly or monthly basis.

If it’s the prestige factor, I didn't think any of Ikea's customers consider it to be a fancy brand.

If it's about culture or the mark of being a cosmopolitan city, I’d think I would rather have our internationally renowned ballet than a discount furniture store.

It's about being cheap and stylish as well as offering a one stop shop for everything you need in your house.

Maybe I’m just a simple prairie bumpkin, but I don't understand Ikea at all.

Here's the hook. You're a college student just moving into your first apartment and you need a huge variety of items but you don't know where to go in your new city to get a lot of things. You don't have a lot of money but you don't want your place to look like your grandparents. What do you do? You go to Ikea!

Labour day weekend at Ikea makes the mall at Christmas look like a ghost town.

[Greco Roman]

^Spoken like a true fan.

IKEA is highly overrated.

[SpongeG]

how many times have Edmonton's and Calgarys IKEA stores moved?

I think its 3 for each isn't it?

[204]

To my recolection, I don't ever remember an IKEA in Winnipeg in the 80's. I would have known about it since my mother is also obsessed with that store for reasons I will never understand.

Yeah, he has a vivid imigination. Winnipeg has never had an Ikea.....

[Stu]

Ottawa's Ikea has been there for at least 22 years. I remember the ball crawl pit of death thing for tots.

[Only The Lonely..]

Ikea might have smart looking furniture, but you'd think they could do something about the outward appearance and location of their stores.

If any place ever defined big box suburban retail and its wasteful ideals it's Ikea.

Considering there are so many fans of new urbanism on this forum I’m surprised nobody has brought this up.

[miketoronto]

That is true. Although in Toronto IKEA has tried a little. Their North York store has a shuttle to the subway stop which is only a block or two away from the store. And their Queensway store also has a shuttle to the subway station.

The Vaughan store had a promotion a while ago where people who has York Regional Transit monthy passes, got a discount at the store.

[Reesonov]

In fairness to Ikea, its a pain in the ass to haul your king-sized bed back on the LRT. But yeah, still a valid point.

[miketoronto]

Well IKEA is building nice stores where they have to.

In England I hear IKEA is making stores in the downtown areas of cities, with not much parking and more home delivery. This is due to England's laws banning suburban retail in most metropolitan areas.

[Reesonov]

/\ Also, the Ikea store in Beijing right on the 2nd ring road (I believe) is very urban (ie no parking whatsoever).

[SpongeG]

the IKEA in coquitlam is sinking - well part of the parking lot has a big sink hole in it and when you enter the lobby there are usually buckets to collect all the leaks

the ground really isn't suitable for such buildings - according to old timers that whole area was filled in as it used to be a marshy bog area

[BlackRedGold]

Ottawa's Ikea has been there for at least 22 years. I remember the ball crawl pit of death thing for tots.

Closer to 30 years.

I can remember going into the ballroom as a young kid when the Ikea was in a small strip mall in Bells Corners.

[SpongeG]

the first IKEA opened in Vancouver in 1976

according to Wikipedia there was a a temporary market test store in Dartmouth Nova Scotia that closed in 1998

is that true?

1976 Canada Dartmouth, Nova Scotia (Burnside Park) This was a temporary North American market test store which closed in 1998. It was very successful. The first permanent store was built in Richmond, British Columbia later in 1976). Current number of stores: 11.

[Coldrsx]

how many times have Edmonton's and Calgarys IKEA stores moved?

I think its 3 for each isn't it?

yup

EDM=

WEM
calgary trail/whitemud
SEC

[SSLL]

You can't compared Ikea in the US to Ikea in Canada or anywhere else in the world. Ikea has taken a long time to penetrate the American market, and has only really recently accelerated their expansion plan.

I think the next cities to get Ikeas would be Winnipeg (the only store between Toronto and Calgary/Edmonton), London (close to Windsor, K/W), Quebec city, and Halifax (only city in Atlantic provinces), in that order.

[SSLL]

You can't compared Ikea in the US to Ikea in Canada or anywhere else in the world. Ikea has taken a long time to penetrate the American market, and has only really recently accelerated their expansion plan.

I think the next cities to get Ikeas would be Winnipeg (the only store between Toronto and Calgary/Edmonton), London (close to Windsor, K/W), Quebec city, and Halifax (only city in Atlantic provinces), in that order.

[SmileyBoy]

You can't compared Ikea in the US to Ikea in Canada or anywhere else in the world. Ikea has taken a long time to penetrate the American market, and has only really recently accelerated their expansion plan.

I think the next cities to get Ikeas would be Winnipeg (the only store between Toronto and Calgary/Edmonton), London (close to Windsor, K/W), Quebec city, and Halifax (only city in Atlantic provinces), in that order.

I agree. Winnipeg and some city outside of the Golden Horseshoe (London or K-W??) will be the next two IKEA's in Canada.

[IntotheWest]

Calgary had Ikea way before it was a million people. My parents were shopping there when I was a really little kid, when the city was barely 600k. I don't know where this 1million figure officially comes from.

Same with Edmonton...

I wish Winnipeg had one - then I wouldn't have to take trips there when family/friends come out. There stuff is neat, for a certain price-point...but will rarely last.

[Biff]

The rumour is back for an IKEA here in Winnipeg. Apparently some Alberta outfit is trying to secure some land around Waverley & Bishop Grandin Blvd. Like it or not Winnipeg WILL get one.

[big W]

yup

EDM=

WEM
calgary trail/whitemud
SEC

And getting larger with each move. The current location is now 330,000 sf.

[Taller Better]

For me they are good for non furniture items. Down pillows, candles, cheap dinnerware for everyday use... study lamps, etc.. I don't buy their furniture.

[ExcaliburKid]

I think the Calgary Ikea is a carbon copy of the Edmonton Ikea. At least they both look the same from the outside anyway.

[Greco Roman]

The rumour is back for an IKEA here in Winnipeg. Apparently some Alberta outfit is trying to secure some land around Waverley & Bishop Grandin Blvd. Like it or not Winnipeg WILL get one.


When did you hear about this latest rumor? Just curious. :cool:

[Biff]

^^^ Last week, from a developer.