Dublin IKEA won't open until late 2009

sdanseo

Have to side with the NRA and An Bórd Pleanála here, though I'd like to see it open myself. They made it extremely clear that the store would not be permitted to open until infrastructure was in place. They haven't revised their estimate iirc either.

IKEA chose to build it and let it lie idle and tbh I think they just chanced their arm that the government would say "ah feck it, sure it's built, let them open it up". No point in them or anyone else blaming the powers that be this time.

juvenal

I'm not an expert on the planning conditions, but I do recall that they were absolutely crystal clear about what infrastructure needed to be in place before the store opened.

No doubt this will just increase the hype in the build-up to the "grand opening". Personally I wish they'd created these jobs and opened stores a decade ago in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Galway, and we could over-indulge in Ikea products and all our houses would look like a catalogue page.*:D

In delaying the expansion into Ireland, first with the Belfast store, and now with the Dublin one, Ikea has just created more hype and novelty around their product. Nothing grips a hold on the Irish consumer like a product that cannot be bought here!

See Ikea / Abercrombie & Fitch / iPhone etc.

*my coffee table is from Ikea:P

Wishbone Ash

Threads merged.

Jet Black

Was not looking forward to it opening as I live just down the road and traffic would be horrible, but its going to create 500+ jobs so the sooner the better IMO.

vanessas

Believe me, I have no shares in Ikea !
I just wanted to say to I've been living in Ireland since 3 years now and I find the furniture very expensive with a very low choice (all the harvey normans and co propose the same type of stuff). I used to buy all my furnitures in Ikea when I was in my country and found the quality very good with such a wide range of choice especially for the kitchen which are very competitive.

With the recession time, people might want to save money and buy funky furniture for change. It might be not the taste of everyone but I'm sure that as soon as the people will have tested it they will be ready to drive from Cork or other parts, still less far than going to Belfast !
And again it is 500 jobs opportunity so the sooner, the better.

And don't worry to built the furniture, if I've been able to do it with my two left hands, everybody can do it (even if the couple fight around the Ikea furniture is very famous in my country. The man does not want to admit that he has done something wrong while the wife try to ask him if he needs help in such a nice way that is "male" reputation is safe! - not very good english, sorry:o)

Bluetonic

http://www.rte.ie/business/2009/0123/ikea.html

IKEA names date for Dublin opening
Friday, 23 January 2009 07:31

IKEA has told RTE News that it will open its 31,000 square metre store in Ballymun in north Dublin on Monday July 27.

The company will employ 500 people in its store which specialises in flat pack furniture. It will begin recruiting for 395 floor staff positions in the middle of March. The company has already recruited 55 managers and is about to start a recruitment drive for supervisors.

An Bord Pleanála approved the store in 2007 despite concerns about its impact on the wider retail environment. It is estimated the some 2.3 million visits were made to IKEA in Belfast last year with large numbers travelling from the south.

Mingey

Why are they only opening 1 in the Republic?

cuckoo

Mingey wrote: »

Why are they only opening 1 in the Republic?

I think there's planning restrictions on how big shops can be here, so they would have difficulty getting permission to build big enough stores.

Hope the gardai are ready for the traffic nightmare and crowd chaos on July 27th - i'll be waiting until September at the earliest to go anywhere near the place. I've been in busy Ikeas in other countries, and when it gets crowded it seems to bring out the worst in people, pushing into lines and shouting at each other over tea towels.

aquascrotum

Heard somethin on the radio this morning that the management of the Dublin store confirmed that pricing would be set in May 09, but there was no guarantee they'd be able to have parity with the Belfast store...

My personal opinion, having been cursed by the Belfast store on several occasions, is that its worth going to for decking out a student house with cheap as chip delph etc and a bookcase, or a back bedroom. Nicknacks like bins, photo frames, some lamps etc are also good. The more expensive and larger stuff they sell imo isn't that cheap compared to similar goods elsewhere (thinking kitches especially).

robo

Mingey wrote: »

Why are they only opening 1 in the Republic?

I don't think there is a need for more than 1 in the Republic. But we will have 2 on the island. And I think that the one in Dublin should have been built in the centre of the country rather than Dublin - 2 hours from Belfast, where as if it was more central, it would not be as far for people from the southern most areas of the country to visit. Oh and I do live in Dublin.

tribulus

On a relatd noted, IKEA are advertising on the Fás website (possible elsewhere too) for manager/supervisor positions. Interviews start in February.

hedgeh0g

robo wrote: »

I don't think there is a need for more than 1 in the Republic. But we will have 2 on the island. And I think that the one in Dublin should have been built in the centre of the country rather than Dublin - 2 hours from Belfast, where as if it was more central, it would not be as far for people from the southern most areas of the country to visit. Oh and I do live in Dublin.

Its a pain going to Belfast. Roll on the Dublin store. Dublin is the best place for it IMO. Theres 1.5 million people in Dublin to start with.