Ikea Winnipeg | Completed - Page 52

Andy6 · #**1021** Posted **Dec 1, 2012, 2:55 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpongeG

i read in a news blog they expected 20,000 on opening day but they only got 8000 - maybe people are too scared to go for the feared crowds which never materialized

Maybe Winnipeg isn't quite big enough to support an IKEA and in five years we'll be celebrating the opening of a huge blue paintball facility accessible via $22 million worth of turning lanes (plus bus loop).

Shinook · #**1022** Posted **Dec 1, 2012, 4:20 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy6

Maybe Winnipeg isn't quite big enough to support an IKEA and in five years we'll be celebrating the opening of a huge blue paintball facility accessible via $22 million worth of turning lanes (plus bus loop).

Hmm, I hope this is tongue in cheek, as there is no way the city isn't big enough for IKEA.

rrskylar · #**1023** Posted **Dec 1, 2012, 5:07 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpongeG

i read in a news blog they expected 20,000 on opening day but they only got 8000 - maybe people are too scared to go for the feared crowds which never materialized

Actually, IKEA said they expected 15000, they got 13500 the first day, media here was all over how there would be gridlock in the area which probably scared a lot of people off.

The Jets will never sell 13000 season tickets huh Andy.

Andy6 · #**1024** Posted **Dec 1, 2012, 5:56 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shinook

Hmm, I hope this is tongue in cheek, as there is no way the city isn't big enough for IKEA.

Well, they had a 1,000,000 lower limit for years, so 750,000 is a lot lower than what they thought feasible for a very long time, until they ran out of bigger places to expand to. But maybe their business model has changed or maybe they were being too conservative in the past.

armorand93 · #**1025** Posted **Dec 1, 2012, 8:57 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by vid

That's the most important aspect of this development!!!

Hey, better than walking from Grant to IKEA on a Sunday when its 10pm, a blizzard and -40

Jeff · #**1026** Posted **Dec 1, 2012, 8:59 AM**

went today with a couple friends.. every big ticket item we wanted when we got to the warehouse was sold out. the online store shall continue to be busy for the 204...

armorand93 · #**1027** Posted **Dec 1, 2012, 2:12 PM**

Tip - go early.

SpongeG · #**1028** Posted **Dec 1, 2012, 8:39 PM**

sells out are pretty common - they can usually tell you when they expect the item in again, sometimes its a couple days, sometimes a couple months

1ajs · #**1029** Posted **Dec 1, 2012, 9:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy6

Well, they had a 1,000,000 lower limit for years, so 750,000 is a lot lower than what they thought feasible for a very long time, until they ran out of bigger places to expand to. But maybe their business model has changed or maybe they were being too conservative in the past.

winnipegs also the shopping hub for the province

be interesting to hear the stats from ikea about sales

Shinook · #**1030** Posted **Dec 1, 2012, 9:42 PM**

Winnipeg is also the shopping hub for a good chunk of Saskatchewan, NW Ontario and parts of North Dakota and Minnesota.

1ajs · #**1031** Posted **Dec 1, 2012, 9:52 PM**

and the far north beleave it or not...

cllew · #**1032** Posted **Dec 1, 2012, 10:04 PM**

Does Ikea have a distribution center in Canada or does each store get replenished from one in the US or directly by containers from Sweden?

Should have checked Google first, it appears that Montreal is the Canadian Distribution center for Ikea. Too bad we could not convince them them to move it to the Center Port area.

vid · #**1033** Posted **Dec 1, 2012, 11:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1ajs

and the far north beleave it or not...

I see native people from the far north buying thousands of dollars worth of food in Thunder Bay all the time (while in town for medical appointments or visiting their kids in school), it is cheaper to buy it all here at once and fly it back with them than to buy it up north.

And if it is -40 and heavy snow outside, the last thing on my mind is going to be "I need a bookcase!" I'd wait until better weather to go to Ikea.

Kinguni · #**1034** Posted **Dec 1, 2012, 11:35 PM**

Been there 3 times so far - opening day, yesterday and today. Today was by far the craziest I've seen it, yet the Ikea traffic was still nothing compared to the traffic in the Walmart, Costco area.

armorand93 · #**1035** Posted **Dec 2, 2012, 2:10 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kinguni

Been there 3 times so far - opening day, yesterday and today. Today was by far the craziest I've seen it, yet the Ikea traffic was still nothing compared to the traffic in the Walmart, Costco area.

Transit runs?

CoryB · #**1036** Posted **Dec 2, 2012, 3:57 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy6

Well, they had a 1,000,000 lower limit for years, so 750,000 is a lot lower than what they thought feasible for a very long time, until they ran out of bigger places to expand to. But maybe their business model has changed or maybe they were being too conservative in the past.

I think they did some research on their existing stores to see the reach they had and determined they pulled from a lot further out than the boundaries of the city. I remember seeing drawing that suggested the target market for the Winnipeg IKEA included most of southern Manitoba and even into North Dakota.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cllew

Does Ikea have a distribution center in Canada or does each store get replenished from one in the US or directly by containers from Sweden?

Should have checked Google first, it appears that Montreal is the Canadian Distribution center for Ikea. Too bad we could not convince them them to move it to the Center Port area.

One of the articles in the media hype running up the the opening talked about the politicians involved in getting IKEA here. That article specifically hinted that IKEA is thought to be looking at opening a distribution center in CentrePort. I thought it was a little odd as this is the first I have heard about that and the politicians would definitely be in the know.

Also wanted to comment that I am really impressed with how well traffic in moving in the area immediately around IKEA. It may be hard to believe but it seems to have actually improved since the store opened.

vid · #**1037** Posted **Dec 2, 2012, 4:38 AM**

*Most* of Southern Manitoba? What, are people in Brandon going to drive all the way to Calgary?

Mininari · #**1038** Posted **Dec 2, 2012, 4:54 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoryB

I think they did some research on their existing stores to see the reach they had and determined they pulled from a lot further out than the boundaries of the city. I remember seeing drawing that suggested the target market for the Winnipeg IKEA included most of southern Manitoba and even into North Dakota.

One of the articles in the media hype running up the the opening talked about the politicians involved in getting IKEA here. That article specifically hinted that IKEA is thought to be looking at opening a distribution center in CentrePort. I thought it was a little odd as this is the first I have heard about that and the politicians would definitely be in the know.

Also wanted to comment that I am really impressed with how well traffic in moving in the area immediately around IKEA. It may be hard to believe but it seems to have actually improved since the store opened.

Top: yes, I think they certainly did. Its an excellent little GIS project to determine what the catchment zone for a Winnipeg Ikea would be. Give it a little time and we'll start seeing steady rural MB, SK, NW Ont, and even ND residents coming in for a weekend visit. I would expect that if a hotel development is still part of the Seasons site plan, we'll be seeing one pop up (BUILD THE DAMN WATERPARK HERE TOO!!!!).

Middle: Its funny, I had always thought that IKEA was a major lobby for changing the Sunday shopping hours, but now that they're finally open, their Sunday hours are only 11 - 6. Maybe they just wanted that one hour... hmm... But on the distribution centre, that would make sense because IKEA only has what, 8-10 stores in all of Canada, and they're split fairly evenly West and East. Instead of having two distribution centres, one in the west (Calgary?), and one in the east (Markham? Missisauga?), they could central it for the entire country -- they must ship everything all neatly packed in boxes, all neatly packed in intermodal rail cars. (Heh, Ikea Winnipeg could have it's own spur line if you think about it).

Bottom: Me too! My wife and I went down there today and we did notice that northbound Kenaston was pretty slow, but the traffic around the store itself was fine. Heh, people are not using the curb lane southbound on Kenaston through the Sterling Lyon Parkway intersection -- left a nice wide open path to get to the store. Parking was spilling over into an overflow lot; Cabelas sure is making progress.

Lets not get too comfortable though, the real traffic problems will slowly but surely arrive as all the other retail opens. But I'm thinking it'll be like Regent / Lagimodiere... busy on weekends, but not apocalyptic. Again the fear-mongering (same with the parking downtown for the MTS Centre) comes out, creates a nice story for the media to run with, when in fact, the reality is quite different.

Had fun at the store -- its laid out exactly the same as the Coquitlam store (from what I can tell). I was unable to get a cinnamon bun

because my 16-mo son had had enough of the place by the time we reached the marketplace. Oh well. Next time.

p.s. If its -40 and blizzarding out and you've got cabin fever, what better GIANT indoor place is there to go hang out in town

1ajs · #**1039** Posted **Dec 2, 2012, 6:30 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by vid

*Most* of Southern Manitoba? What, are people in Brandon going to drive all the way to Calgary?

people in winnipeg were driving to calgary quiet a few to boot

Jeff · #**1040** Posted **Dec 2, 2012, 7:45 AM**

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