apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Did you look at the "Around Town" thing at the IKEA website? With the IKEA makeover for a bus stop? And the guy standing next to it on his cell phone, undoubtably perplexed.

My dream was for IKEA to have "mini-IKEA" stores in malls and small shopping centers. Especially in places that don't HAVE IKEA already. Each month there would be a bunch of featured items, all on display, all available to order. Sort of like the JCPenney catalog desk in some stores.

Certain things that are generally only available in stores would be available at the mini-stores...by order. And the orders would be put together at the end of the month, and delivered back to the store, for people to pick up.

The less expensive things that they don't sell online, could be shipped to stores in bulk, making it more worthwhile to ship fifty posters instead of one, or fifty sets of LILL mesh curtains instead of one.

They could have featured months, like Art and Frame month. Curtains and fabric month. While displaying items that can be ordered online, so people can see them and try them out before ordering.

They wouldn't have to build a giant store, they could use existing retail space. They might be able to carry some items in store for that month, depending on the size.

Of course I've already sent this to IKEA. And of course I've gotten all their form letters. Hah!

I even thought they could call it "PRE-IKEA"...like if sales were overwhelming, maybe an IKEA big store would come to the area.

If only IKEA would seriously take your idea, I love it. Wished I could make it happen.

We've got Home Depot in Manhattan (which requires a lot of space) why not Ikea? It seems odd to me that is doesn't exist.

I like your idea too, Andree.

I really dislike going all the way to Jersey

One reason there might not be a big IKEA store in your area, Vanessa, is that IKEA seems to like to build in areas that will be a little less expensive, property-wise. Close to major areas, but not exactly in the middle of them. There has to BE a space big enough to hold that store and it's parking needs.

An online friend that I had introduced to IKEA went to the new Georgia store, a week or so after it opened. She had to park in another lot away from the store, as the store lot was full. IKEA provided a shuttle service to get people from the other lots.

No, that didn't mean they could walk right in, and were dropped off at the front of the store. They were dropped off into a line, and it took about an hour before they were able to get in.

The store was so crowded, that only a few people at a time were allowed into the store. There just wasn't ROOM for more people.

And no matter how hard I stressed wearing comfortable shoes, she ended up with blisters.

The area that the store is built in has to have that kind of HUGE area with TONS of other shops and parking. Lots of parking.

Since you both (Gina and Vanessa) responded, what would you like to see in such a PRE-IKEA? I'm not talking about a Macy's size of store. I'm talking smaller store, and I MEAN smaller store. Think "Hallmark" size. Some are bigger or smaller, but that's what I have in mind.

One set up area, that ties in with that month's feature. Kitchen cabinets and a dining set, and that month's feature would be cookware and kitchen textiles, etc. Everyone could feel the napkins, look at the dishes or pots or tableware, and place their order.

End of the month, the WHOLE STORE CHANGES. Out with the kitchen cabinets, in with a living room, and tables and rugs and lamps. They might be able to ship in a pile of the assorted rugs, and the ones that remain true to the design, those would be orderable.

Month after that, maybe the art and frames and sculptures and decorations. The whole store changes into an art store, pretty much.

I think it would be exciting, waiting for the monthly display window unveiling. Each month may appeal to a different group of people.

What do you think about that kind of idea? What drawbacks do you see? What advantages? Would you be willing to wait until the end of the month to pick up the items you ordered in the store? You'd be getting EXACTLY what you saw in the store, so it's not like regular catalogs, you see it before you buy it. And only the month's offerings would be available. Not everything.

Larger stores could carry more items in stock. Small stores could be basically "order only" with only display items to handle. The shipments would arrive with the following month's specials (or maybe a week into the new month). Meaning that the store's stock doesn't get replenished at all, and what isn't sold is not marked down, just exchanged when the new stuff comes in.

I'm trying to figure out ways to get lots of IKEA "only available in stores" stuff out to people who do not HAVE a store nearby.

And I'm pretty sure they aren't going to open up PRE-IKEA nationwide if just us three like it. Anyone else like it?

They could try it as an experiment. For a year. In a place that isn't slated to get a new store soon. It could bring a lot of foot traffic to local malls. People curious about the IKEA experience or products.

It's kind of backwards, I guess. IKEA=BIG store, BIG selection, buy it now and take it home. And I'm thinking Dinky Store, no selection, have to wait for it to arrive. But I still think it could work.

Andree, that's a great idea!

Plus, you'd think it'd be a perfect way for them to scout out new locations. I suppose it goes against their "business model" to think outside the big blue box.

Except I think I'd call it ikita, for "little IKEA".

PRE-IKEA sounds like it should be shortened to "PREKEA." Which would be a *perfect* name for their kid's section (a la DWR's JAX)

AJ, yeah, I guess it does sound a little like the "kids" area. PREKEA sounds like what happens when a Honda Prelude and a KIA have little pedal car babies. Hah!

There IS a reason that IKEA has that name, and the founder is the "IK" part, Ingvar Kamprad, and the EA is for Elmtaryd Agunnaryd, the farm and village where he grew up.

So that pretty much has to stay intact. But it should also have a distinctive add-on, to clarify that it's NOT a jumbo store, it's a mini store.

People would learn how it works, with the monthly changes. I mean, we already do that, with seasonal stuff in our regular retail stores. And just like sales, the monthly offerings create a sense of urgency. Probably more so than sales do now.

The little stores give you the chance to buy it...but only this month. ONLY this month. You can buy these curtains at the regular good IKEA price ONLY THIS MONTH. Otherwise you have to book a flight, fly five states, and go to an IKEA store. Costing you far more than buying them THIS MONTH.

I thought of this long before coming to AT, but it DOES tie in with The Cure. IKEA is a HUGE store. And some of us have apartments that need a LOT of things worked on. It's pretty daunting to face the task of either wandering around the giant IKEA or trying to do the whole apartment at once.

The Cure breaks things up into manageable chunks. So would this mini-IKEA. Big IKEA is family friendly. They have child care and places to entertain kids. So mom and dad can spend some time doing serious BIG shopping. Little IKEA would be family friendly too...because it's small, and local, folks can literally zip in on their lunch hour and browse the entire newest monthly selections. Or bring the kids, and afterwards go to a mall theater or eat dinner at one of the fine dining establishments found in malls (McDonalds, pizza, and various other TUMS-necessary places).

IKEA already has email alerts. A special email alert, as well as an online section that will preview the coming month's attractions in all the mini-IKEA stores allows people to consider the selections even before they hit the store.

I have THREE IKEAs near me. Not ONE is convenient. They're ALL a pain in the butt to get to. And driving 40 miles on the main commuter freeway to buy LILL curtains at $4.99 a pair seems like a waste. I probably spend more on gas just to get the curtains! But that's all I wanted. And I can't afford to fill up my car with other stuff. I don't have ROOM for it, and I don't NEED it.

I'd have no problem waiting MONTHS for the special Textiles month at the local mini-IKEA. There'd be some sort of shipping charge, I think, but it's going from wherever their warehouses are to the store, not to my home. And having it all delivered, for everyone, at the same time means big savings. One truck to each mini-store to deliver the goods that have already been paid for.

In the states that aren't even slated for a BIG IKEA over the next ten years, it's still possible they could have DOZENS of mini-IKEA stores, scattered throughout the state, and one bigger shipping point.

Again, that sense of urgency would prevail, because when I'm in there picking up the LILL curtains (that enchant cats, apparently), I'd see the NEW month's goodies. It'd be addicting.

Hey, isn't ikita a dog?

Remember, it (the mini stores) may also be in other countries, and we don't need any boo-boos, like the "Nova" which didn't sell too well in Mexico.

I guess we can let the founder choose the name. hahahah.

Maybe we could hook in with the "Big Blue Box" thing. Like "Some of the best things come in small packages, that's why we've created (insert new mini-IKEA name here) stores to let everyone experience a little bit of IKEA."

"Baby Blue Box" sounds like it's pastel and part of the Nickelodeon paint line. It still has to identify IKEA in the name. Anyone know any Swedish words? Short ones?

And, yeah, there's a good reason to dream of this. To talk about it, to comment on the idea, to toss ideas around.

Some companies have mostly in-house designers and new product consultants and they don't always consider the regular people ideas. Some do. Or seem to.

Was it MY idea, or did I have the idea around the same time as the folks at Palmolive were considering the Aromatherapy line of dishwashing liquid? I called, because one scent had disappeared (Pots and Pans) and I discussed with the person the idea of aromatherapy for the dishes. Fragrance is a powerful mind-altering experience for me. I look forward to doing the dishes when I get that fragrance treat. And I use more soap if it smells good (my current fav, Ajax Pink Grapefruit...gotta be AJAX, not the other brands).

Six-ten months later? Out came the whole line of Aromatherapy. Air Wick/Wizard night lights for the plug in oils? Yup, called about that too, before they had lights on any. Said that the bottle was clear and was perfectly set up for a light behind it. Was it me? Or did I have a similar idea to one in the works? I dunno.

I posted a ton of ideas on another board, and got a call from a representative of the company, or it may have been the big guy himself, appreciating my ideas and comments. A billionaire that reaches out to the little people. And some of what I thought were my ideas WERE created.

Stuff with AOL too. Anyone remember back in the days when those horrible repetitive IMs would come in and make the recipient crash? My idea? "IM reflector" so that whatever comes into me, also goes back to the person who sent it. That's the way IMs are now.

The more we think about this idea and discuss it, the more likely it is to be found by someone at IKEA...someone with POWER to make it happen. The more likely we'll think about the pros and cons, and to come up with solutions. So all they have to do is come over and print out this page and put it into motion.

I've never wanted any money for ideas. I have way too many ideas and I can't put them into practice. Because they build on a current brand or item that I like.

I want them (the company) to take it, use it, so I can enjoy it. I wanna go to MY mall and buy IKEA curtains. Or art and frames. Or seasonal items. Or textiles.

In nice, tiny, manageable, affordable bites.

hahaha, my posts are like the big IKEA store, takes awhile to get through them, eh? And so many here crave the nice, small, manageable posts. They'd probably like the mini-IKEA stores then too!

There was a mini-IKEA in Manhattan when they opened, but I guess they never planned on really keeping it. I ran into a guy who worked there who said they were mobbed, even on weekdays. It was basically a showroom that could order whatever you wanted.

All IKEA needs to do is open a distribution point on a subway line in NYC, preferably one with an elevator so I can just roll my crap home in my trusty shopping cart. I can figure out what I want from the catalogue most of the time, or make a wishlist in NJ + come home to order. It's always the getting-things-home part that sucks, and it's ironic that there is a JC Penny's catalogue order place in the East Village, but no IKEA outlet. Mini-IKEAs would make up for the lousy catalogue/online ordering process.

All those other other big box retailers have gotten over the Manhattan rents. IKEA makes two million people who live within 18 square miles get on a bus to another state in order to visit their store... 8 million people in tinytiny apartments live in NYC. It's a huge market. If you can't find a spot big enough for your warehouse, get a freaking barge and park it on the river. They don't need a parking lot, and they don't need a store much bigger than either of the Home Depots in Manhattan. I know they're doing a store in Red Hook, but what I really want is an IKEA within walking distance [like within a hundred blocks, give or take] so I don't have to haul some flat packed piece of furniture up two flights of subway steps ever, ever again.

Do you people realize how many $20 chairs Ikea would have to sell to justify NYC storefront rent?!

As long as we're coming up with improve-Ikea ideas, I think there should be a shopping list feature on their website. If there is something you want, you can click a box to put it on your shopping list. Then before you make your trek to the store, you can print out the list, complete with pictures, names, and prices.

I'm not sure how consistant the stores are in layout, but the shopping list could even be automatically organized by the layout of the stores: items that you a) order on the showroom floor, b) get yourself in the marketplace, and c) get yourself in the warehouse.

I've been doing my own in excel. Yes, it's a little wacky, but it makes my trips much less stressful once I get there. Pictures help, because who can remember all those swedish names?

I have an answer! There is one place that has actually been suggested for an IKEA. The pier currently being used to house the solid waste transfer station, which is in the 30's. That projects is a long way off, though, after the city reworks its sanitation system.

The reason there is no IKEA in Manhattan is because there literally is no place to put it. Large undeveloped spaces, like the Hudson Rail Yards (where the West Side Stadium would've been) and many other spaces I can think of all along the west side have been rezoned for mixed-use, residential and much needed manufacturing space. The elected city and state representatives for the area have made affordable housing a priority, so a lot of properties that could hold an IKEA are already slated for development in those ways. I do see the irony that there are few resources in NYC to affordably FURNISH an affordable housing unit. Though we all hate Wallmart and other big box stores, there is a shocking lack of resources for the working poor and middle class to purchasee household necessities at non-Manhattan prices.

As for Home Depot, I do not know how they came upon as much space as they have in Manhattan, but there is a crucial difference between them and IKEA: what you see is what you get in Home Depot. They do not need a warehouse the same size as their showroom, like the IKEA model. The show room only concept is great, and I think there is a significant call for that in the city. I don't know enough about their business model to say why it isn't feasable or hasn't happened yet.

If you want an IKEA in Manhattan, write your local Council Member and state Senator to demand affordable goods in Manhattan.

an Ikea is being planned for Red Hook, Brooklynn

Where is "Hicksville, NY", closer than NJ?:
http://tinyurl.com/rekav

Brooklyn IS coming soon, but no real info available:
http://tinyurl.com/cld2j

Kim: Excellent idea about the shopping list. Let's take it one step further. Since you can actually check the stock at the IKEA you are going to visit, you could add the items to your list, select your store, run a check to see what was in-stock (as of their last computer update, which is NOT a guarantee), and then the print out would have the locations of all your items, on that map, with little "stars" indicating your Gilbert chairs are in the warehouse, etc.

Mary, you totally cracked me up with the "freaking barge" idea. Okay, so you'd want the mini-IKEA to allow you to order the big stuff? There are many big items you can currently order and have delivered to your home. So I'm guessing you want some of the big items that aren't available online?

The biggest things would be sofas and beds, right? Looks like the majority of fabric three-seaters are available online. All the leather is available online. Most, not all, double bed frames are available online.

I'm thinking there's a business opportunity for strong guys with a small cargo truck too. If the store isn't within walking distance, or you don't have a car, you simply meet the IKEA moving guys at the store, they load your paid-for stuff into their cargo truck, take it to your residence.

P2: I'm thinking of even smaller things, like $5.00 items. Which means they'd have to sell a lot. And they would. Visit eBay and lookup keyword IKEA, and you'll find enterprising/rip-off people selling "only available at the store" items for triple the cost, and people are buying them.

Zipping over to the main Curtains and Blinds area in Textiles, you'll see that none of the intro items are avialable to purchase online: http://tinyurl.com/m9jas

You've seen me get overly enthusiastic about the panels and the KVADRANT rail systme. Here are the panels.
http://tinyurl.com/dyp6u Not one available online. And the rail system isn't available either. Check the rods and hardware section.

THOSE are the kinds of things I'd want to put in mini-IKEA for a month. That whole group of hardware and panels and curtains. Yeah, they'd need to sell a lot. I think they WOULD sell a lot.

They might even be able to have some kind of computer system for people to self-order and pay with credit/debit card.

Mary: Very interesting that they had a mini-IKEA. Can you tell me more about it? How it was set up? What they carried? How big it was?

I'm wondering if they tried to do it all in a tiny store. And that won't work. That's why my thought was to rotate the offerings monthly. There are going to be some people that just won't need or be interested in certain month offerings. If your kitchen is already fully stocked with everything you could need or want, you won't be shopping the cookware or table linens.

So while it leaves some people out during a month, because they don't NEED those things, those people that ARE interested don't have to be jostled about by the 10,000 other people looking for something completely different.

With an online preview, people can see what will be offered, decide if they NEED or WANT it, before going to the store. The same thing will be there all month, so there won't be new items coming in, there won't be sales, just the same stuff for one month.

Maybe they could call the store Everyday Fabulous, like the concept store, pictured above. Look at all the textiles, that's what the mini-stores could have during their textile month. I don't know if they could do the actual bolt fabrics, but all the bedding items, duvet covers, they could be hanging.

These mini-IKEA stores could be in the heart of BIG areas, as well as areas that have NO close IKEA at all.

I have no idea about the financial portion. What the actual cost would be to run such a place. Those little things DO add up. And having a display of, let's say, a couple of sofas that ARE available to order online, brings those items out for people to inspect, try out, and order. Those orders would go to their home, like regular online orders.

It's so people can see the items first. The sofa looks great online, but it's also only 2 inches wide and I can't feel it or sit on it or smell it. Seeing it's proportions in person and sitting in it could sway me one way or another. And it would represent the whole line. So if you like the EKTORP chair in the store, you know that the loveseat and sofa will be the same in comfort, and you can order up the bigger items with the covers of your choice.

More comments. Need more comments. I really want this to work. Somehow. Anyone actually know business stuff and if it would be profitable?

If you are adventurous you can go to Hicksville by LI rr and walk north a block or two to IKEA. My son and his girlfriend did it. It's pretty easy if you are buying something that can be carried.

Apparently the reason there's no real info available on the future Red Hook store is that IKEA has been having trouble with permits and the neighborhood.

Very few people in Red Hook want IKEA because of the traffic insanity it will bring, as well as meaning the end of local businesses, driving commercial rents up, pushing out the artists' studios, etc. The residents are making it hard for IKEA to get building permits. Thus, no IKEA in Brooklyn yet.

Personally, while I would love to have one so much closer to home, Red Hook is not really that much more accessible to the average public transportation bound New Yorker than New Jersey.

And Home Depot and KMart are the only two big box stores to hit Manhattan so far. The Manhattan Home Depots are more upscale with less square footage and a concentration on home design, fixtures, etc. rather than lumber and hardcore hardware items. which means they bring in more money to justify the Manhattan rents. That's not something IKEA could do, as we would want their full line and at the same price. And the KMarts have really poor selection, prices that really aren't that great (I swear the Astor Place KMart is more expensive than the ones I've been to in bumfuck wherever), and the worst service ever. If IKEA had to be like the Manhattan KMarts to come to the city, I'd rather just go to Jersey.

Target, however, has the right idea. Accessible parts of Brooklyn and Queens, connected to major subways and close to residential areas of those boroughs.

Also, i think all IKEA's problems could be solved by making a really accessible American website where you can see and order EVERYTHING online. That way they please the Manhattanites as well as those in far flung IKEA-less locations.

There are some very intriguing ideas here, but at the end of the day I doubt Ikea is likely to implement any of them. There are WAY fewer Ikeas than Home Depots, and they still have huge opportunities to build all over the country; by comparison, with 4-5 stores in easy driving distance the NYC area probably has the greatest saturation of stores.

And more to the point, I don't think Ikea even WANTS to make it easy for you to shop there: The hassle is actually a key part of the experience. The packed parking lot, shortages and lines (which I've found to be consistent in Ikeas all over the country) all contribute to making you think you're getting an incredible deal on merchandise that is hard to get, leading all of us to throw things we don't need into our carts in a frenzy, because we 1) need to justify the drive; and 2) won't be back for months.

There's no question that Ikea offers great style at a budget. But these days they're far from alone in that category; with some editing, there's also great stuff at West Elm, Pier One and Target all the same range. If Ikea suddenly had stores right in the city - and raised prices a few dollars to pay for the higher costs - I think they would definitely lose some of the specialness that has made them a phenomenum.

Andree wrote:
"I'm thinking there's a business opportunity for strong guys with a small cargo truck... they load your paid-for stuff into their cargo truck, take it to your residence. "

Within an amazingly short period of time after the IKEA opened in Stoughton, MA, ads started popping up on the Boston craigslist:
"IKEA FURNITURE SHUTTLE !!!!!"
I kid you not.

Another nice thing about a mini-ikea: no sore feet and "IKEA hangover." They could even have a small cooler of lingonberry sodas & the like.

There are ads by guys with trucks offering to get your ikea stuff in New York's Craig's List as well.

And eeeck, I think you are right, the inconvenience and insanity of an Ikea trip probably does contribute to the phenomenon. Sometimes it feels like climbing Mt Everest, or, as my friend says: "Ikea makes strong men cry."

Maybe the big store IS part of the "experience" but it didn't start that way. "IKEA originally sold pens, wallets, picture frames, table runners, watches, jewellery and nylon stockings - whatever Ingvar found a need for that he could fill with a product at a reduced price."

Later IKEA added furniture, and instead of being just mail order, they added a showroom. You can read all of this online in the History section.

What I'm proposing is going back to the roots of IKEA, in a way. Getting a few LARGE items out to the people to see and to touch. Things they can order online, by phone, but would rather see first. And an abundance of the small things that could be ordered from the mini-store that usually can't be ordered.

The IKEA experience is interesting. One HUGE drawback, for me, is that I'm in pain, all the time. It hurts to walk. Short of crawling into one of the kid's playhouses to curl up and sob, there's no place for me to rest throughout the store.

People, I'm talking about going to the grocery store, getting part way through my shopping, and ditching my cart to leave the store and go home, because of the level of pain, and knowing I just can't stand up at the checkout line.

Knowing I may be whimpering before even getting to the store from the car, even with the disabled placard, that's not good. Knowing that at any moment I could be virtually parallyzed in pain in the very spot I'm standing really SUCKS. I cannot take one step until whatever just happened stops happening.

While you're saying it's a pain to go and park, it really IS a pain for me. And there are a gazillion people out there whose lives have been altered dramatically, leaving them in much the same shape I'm in. Making it hard to get around.

I'm seeing folks being able to get into the mini-IKEA in their wheelchairs. Folks being able to browse the monthly selections using their walker. Folks unable to see being able to go with a friend to feel and smell the textiles.

There'd have to be a kid's month in there somewhere. People have children outside of major metropolitan areas. And the IKEA kids stuff is incredible, both in design and in price. I'm thinking big country homes in the middle of the snow with nothing for the kids to do. Well, go to the IKEA room in the rambling home, and play. Swing. Yeah, they have indoor swings. Climb. Rock. Roll. Crawl. Swivel. Jump. Nap. Draw.

Fill a midwestern basement with Children's IKEA and you may never see your child again.

Maybe some areas would never be populated to support a huge IKEA store. But they could have a mini-IKEA. The smaller areas might not be as well off, or have a higher ratio of folks that have less money than folks in Manhattan. Those folks are probably more likely to enjoy shopping at the smaller IKEA, like I would be. I can't afford to do it all at once. But I could do a few curtains this month. A couple place settings next month. Etc.

Rent would be cheap in smaller areas. People can use those few jobs. And when the store changes over, between one month and the next, they'd need some helpers just for a couple days. Who couldn't use a few extra dollars each month? I'm thinking kids in high school and college or townsfolk. Everything will have to be inventoried, shipped out, displays taken down, and then all the new stuff installed and set up.

I look at Goodwill and Hallmark size stores and say "Yeah, I could do a mini-IKEA here". My display area in the front window with the bigger items. And all the little goodies once you wander around.

There's a couple of sayings, one is something about mountains and molehills. The other has to do with mountains and Mohammed. I think you can make a lot of molehills from mountains (mini-IKEAs all over for a more diverse population density) and bring the mountain (er, molehills) to Mohammed, or Montana, or Maine, or Missouri.

Those $4.99 LILL curtains are great for a lot of places. Whether it's your beach estate and the light, airy aspect, or your bayou shack using the curtains to keep the mosquitos at bay on your front porch. They let the air and light through, but no bugs. They're really long, so they work for higher ceilings, and you just CUT them to make them shorter.

They'll never make those available online. And they just aren't worth the trip alone to go to a huge store, even if one was really close. but you can bet I'd order up some if there was a mini-IKEA nearby. I need more.

Guys:
For Ikea to build a store requires months of market research. Ikea's problem is being able to keep up with the global demand (read in the Business Week). All of us know that CAN be in Manhattan.

Even if it all WAS available online, there are some things you really have to SEE in person to decide if you like them or not. For instance, this curtain:
http://tinyurl.com/e2eh6

I'd seen it in the catalog. Wasn't impressed. I'd seen it online and wasn't impressed. I saw it in the store and wished I had a house of glass to fill the windows with them.

The sheer part is shimmery (of course, that has to do with the IKEA lighting). And the dandelionesque patterns, they look kind of "flocked". You can't see that online.

Online these look flat and lifeless:
http://tinyurl.com/p9f8d
In person, they have depth to the blue or amber, one fits about in the palm of my hand. I would love to have good light/sunlight in this apartment and have them on a table to stare at all day.

See the kind of blackened bronze towards the middle of this poster?: http://tinyurl.com/njcnp
It's not flat...it's metallic. It shines. You can't tell that online.

Can't smell online either. The BOMULL sheets, quiltcovers, bedspreads, pillowcases, they all have that heavenly scent of cotton. I didn't even wash the bottom sheet, and it's a coarse sheet, not silky. I don't always WANT a silky sheet, sateen is HOT and snags easily. I dozed off in textured, scented bliss.

And I love the scent of feather pillows. The ones at IKEA weren't quite strong enough of a scent though I got them anyway, and they're swell.

IKEA's plan is to open 5 new stores a year for the next 10 years. That's great. Except when you see the current distribution map of the stores, on the IKEA site itself. It's around population centers. The stores. Which means that more stores will appear in big areas, and smaller areas STILL might not have an IKEA within driving distance or even in the state.

You can see they are adding a new distribution center here, as well as the locations of the other centers:
http://tinyurl.com/m4x2a

Nothing inland.

The size of the one distribution center is:
1.7 million square-foot distribution center on 115 acres

And will supply basically four stores:
IKEA stores to be supported by the Savannah DC are in Atlanta, GA; Frisco, TX; Houston, TX; and one planned in Round Rock, TX.

Yikes. Huh? So, the idea of mini-IKEAs still sounds good to me. The distribution centers that would supply the mini-stores wouldn't have to hold enough to supply EVERYTHING, just the current and next month's products. Which could mean a big savings for IKEA. They'd only have to ship out 2 billion placemats this month, instead of everything.

Remaining stock is absorbed back into "regular" distribution centers.

So it's not just finding the space for the big store that is wanted, it's finding a place to store the stuff for the stores. The kind of business that could be done would be incredible, but they have to get the supplies from somewhere to Manhattan. And from what I've seen on TV, it's not great for big trucks. ;)

As far as traffic, yeah, there'd be a lot of traffic. But I always look at the little homes across the gigantic parking area with envy...thinking "Yeah, and they could WALK to IKEA and have 50 cent hot dogs everyday!" I'd probably have hot dogs morning, noon and night.

I always wanted to propose a store in Miami, with an external cargo service for all the people in Latin America that do their shopping in Miami. And that's a LOT of people... That store alone would have the Miami market and the Latinamerican market... They could consolidate shipments to each country...
I took a bunch of Billys and 2 computer desks and other stuff to Guatemala. Don't remember the name of the desks... they were the ones on the movie FightClub... unfortunately they're discontinued. I would have bought 2 more now.

I agree the Ikea exhibition was a great addition to a NYC weekend. Love the idea especially how interactive and hands on it was, and the use of the small business the Red Masala clothing company. I love my handbag.

Hey, i know this thread is super old, but i was just on the Coming soon area of Ikea.com and they are apparently planning a store for Brooklyn. Site says more info to come.