Halifax Stadium Discussion - Page 194

halifaxboyns · #**3861** Posted **Oct 20, 2011, 7:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Empire

ships start here came first, then the contract.....

The glow is permanent. No dollars need to flow to the shipyard for the future to begin. I think you will see immediate response in terms of expansion, development, housing new retail etc. and that is the beauty of the magnitude of this announcement.

Should we expect Ikea within a year?

I would guess ikea in 5 years, but that's just me.
But I expect Irving might be on board for the stadium in some form or another...if I were Phil Townsend (the staff member who spoke at the public hearing) they would be the first place I'd be starting to talk too in light of the ship contract.

icetea93 · #**3862** Posted **Oct 20, 2011, 8:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Empire

ships start here came first, then the contract.....

The glow is permanent. No dollars need to flow to the shipyard for the future to begin. I think you will see immediate response in terms of expansion, development, housing new retail etc. and that is the beauty of the magnitude of this announcement.

Should we expect Ikea within a year?

I've heard a lot of chatter online about Ikea taking interest in Halifax and even a rumor that they had inquired about a piece of land in Dartmouth Crossing.

No doubt in my mind that Ikea would prosper here

ATL Stadium · #**3863** Posted **Oct 20, 2011, 11:39 PM**

IKEA was here before and left because it was too small a market

Quote:

Originally Posted by icetea93

I've heard a lot of chatter online about Ikea taking interest in Halifax and even a rumor that they had inquired about a piece of land in Dartmouth Crossing.

No doubt in my mind that Ikea would prosper here

MonctonRad · #**3864** Posted **Oct 20, 2011, 11:56 PM**

I was living in Halifax at the time that IKEA left. The store was (marginally) profitable, but the corporation at the time made a conscious decision to concentrate only on markets of greater than 1M people. There was a lot of pressure placed on IKEA before they decided to expand into Winnipeg. They thought it was too small a market. I wouldn't hold your breath.

ScovaNotian · #**3865** Posted **Oct 21, 2011, 12:32 AM**

At least now we have this guy: http://www.myikeabuyer.com/

someone123 · #**3866** Posted **Oct 21, 2011, 12:48 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I was living in Halifax at the time that IKEA left. The store was (marginally) profitable, but the corporation at the time made a conscious decision to concentrate only on markets of greater than 1M people. There was a lot of pressure placed on IKEA before they decided to expand into Winnipeg. They thought it was too small a market. I wouldn't hold your breath.

I wouldn't be terribly surprised if the Halifax retail market is more or less equivalent to the Winnipeg market for something like IKEA, where there would only be one store in the entire region. The populations are 400,000 vs. 700,000 -- not a huge difference -- and there are more people in the Maritimes than in Manitoba. Halifax also has a large student population and they love cheap IKEA stuff.

Empire · #**3867** Posted **Oct 21, 2011, 12:59 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I was living in Halifax at the time that IKEA left. The store was (marginally) profitable, but the corporation at the time made a conscious decision to concentrate only on markets of greater than 1M people. There was a lot of pressure placed on IKEA before they decided to expand into Winnipeg. They thought it was too small a market. I wouldn't hold your breath.

I was in the Dartmouth IKEA store on the corner of Akerley and Windmill plus one street several times and bought a pine table called the Smedvick. Point being, they will be back because the opportunity is too good to pass up.

Empire · #**3868** Posted **Oct 21, 2011, 1:05 AM**

Dateline Halifax:

Stadium: Irving Yard

CFL Team: Halifax Destroyers

Mission Statement: Winners Start Here.ca

icetea93 · #**3869** Posted **Oct 21, 2011, 1:49 AM**

Yeah I'm very confident that, should IKEA come back, it would be a success here. Halifax is about the same in "retail status" as Winnipeg (both are secondary markets after Toronto, Calgary, etc. for Canadian expansion) so I wouldn't be that surprised at all. They will probably want a store in Atlantic Canada so Halifax makes sense, if not soon then eventually (5 years or sooner?)

IKEA basically proved that magic 1 million thing wrong by opening in Winnipeg and they are currently reviewing Canadian markets for further expansion. I can't think of a better city to open in now (Halifax and Quebec maybe) that they are in all the 1 million + cities (and less, Winnipeg). Maybe they just initially wanted to open in 1 million + cities and then saw more opportunity in Canada and abandoned that idea?

CorbeauNoir · #**3870** Posted **Oct 21, 2011, 2:22 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATL Stadium

IKEA was here before and left because it was too small a market

IIRC a big reason why Ikea left was because of friction with the provincial gov't over sunday shopping laws.

CorbeauNoir · #**3871** Posted **Oct 21, 2011, 2:28 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by someone123

I wouldn't be terribly surprised if the Halifax retail market is more or less equivalent to the Winnipeg market for something like IKEA, where there would only be one store in the entire region. The populations are 400,000 vs. 700,000 -- not a huge difference -- and there are more people in the Maritimes than in Manitoba. Halifax also has a large student population and they love cheap IKEA stuff.

Winnipeg is an exceptional circumstance with regards to IKEA because
-they supposedly were regularly the #1 city in North America for phone/online ordering, and
-they use the store as a major shipping hub owing to Winnipeg's geographically-central location

IKEA generally search for a population of +~1mil within a few hours radius of a store for their locations. I've heard buzz about one potentially on the horizon in Moncton for that reason. But it seems a little ridiculous that Halifax can support two Costcos but not IKEA.

But this is all info I came across over a year ago when searching around for apartment furnishings. The situation might have changed since.

icetea93 · #**3872** Posted **Oct 21, 2011, 2:45 AM**

I guess we'll have to wait and see

resetcbu1 · #**3873** Posted **Oct 21, 2011, 2:53 AM**

If an Ikea there was half as busy even , as the one here in calgary , they would be making money hand over fist . The calgary store is a nut house, I hate going there evenit is so packed.

MonctonRad · #**3874** Posted **Oct 21, 2011, 3:11 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by CorbeauNoir

IKEA generally search for a population of +~1mil within a few hours radius of a store for their locations. I've heard buzz about one potentially on the horizon in Moncton for that reason. But it seems a little ridiculous that Halifax can support two Costcos but not IKEA..

That "buzz" you heard about IKEA in Moncton was probably some delusional diatribe in the Times & Transcript. It's one of those ideas that the paper floats about every six months or so, just to boost circulation numbers and stimulate controversy.

You guys all know how much of a Moncton booster I am, but Moncton is only one third the size of Halifax and the idea that IKEA would locate here is pretty silly, especially considering the arm twisting required to get the store to locate in Winnipeg, a city twice the size of Halifax.

I'll let you guys fight it out and lobby for a Halifax store. i think I'll sit this one out (and concentrate on a more achievable goal like a Moncton franchise in the CFL).

CorbeauNoir · #**3875** Posted **Oct 21, 2011, 3:49 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by resetcbu1

If an Ikea there was half as busy even , as the one here in calgary , they would be making money hand over fist . The calgary store is a nut house, I hate going there evenit is so packed.

I go to that IKEA every time I'm back visiting my parents. Those friggin meatballs keep drawing me back in...

someone123 · #**3876** Posted **Oct 21, 2011, 4:36 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by CorbeauNoir

I go to that IKEA every time I'm back visiting my parents. Those friggin meatballs keep drawing me back in...

It's sad but I live not too far from the Coquitlam IKEA and I've definitely gone there for the food before.

halifaxboyns · #**3877** Posted **Oct 21, 2011, 5:52 AM**

I think Ikea is probably about 10 years out. Mainly because it will take time for the economy to really get buzzing with the effects of the ship building contract and the population increases to become staggering, but I have a suspicion that the IKEA people have been keeping an eye on the maritimes more and more (especially in light of the ship contract). I agree with someone, a store in HRM will likely be a regional draw.

Imagine it...an ikea, a stadium, buzzing economy...an lrt. Oh god, I need to sit down...

TedWilliamsHead · #**3878** Posted **Oct 21, 2011, 10:54 AM**

why is there so many post about ikea in the stadium dicussion....get back on track

Jstaleness · #**3879** Posted **Oct 21, 2011, 12:13 PM**

Yes Sir! *salute gesture*

Acajack · #**3880** Posted **Oct 21, 2011, 1:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by icetea93

IKEA basically proved that magic 1 million thing wrong by opening in Winnipeg and they are currently reviewing Canadian markets for further expansion. I can't think of a better city to open in now (Halifax and Quebec maybe) that they are in all the 1 million + cities (and less, Winnipeg). Maybe they just initially wanted to open in 1 million + cities and then saw more opportunity in Canada and abandoned that idea?

Quebec City actually had an IKEA up until the late 80s I believe. No idea why they closed it.