Portland Braces For a Run on Allen Wrenches

July 20th, 2007

Editorial note: I wouldn’t normally burn a couple real estate blog entries on a retail store premiere…but one of the all-too-rare perks of blogging is occasionally getting an invite to speak, write, or in this case, an opportunity to attend a pre-grand-opening…opening.

My recent entry on the new IKEA store in Portland earned me a ‘press’ badge for their media day on Wednesday. (I so wanted to put Wolf Blitzer on my name tag….)

So my wife and I roamed the Swedish furniture and housewares retailer with reporters from Willamette Week, the Oregonian, Oregon Home, a few radio and TV stations, and a fellow blogger from Metroblogging Portland. After a brief lunch of Swedish gravalax, potato salad, meatballs, lingonberries and a quick speech from store managers, we were led on a tour through their labyrinthine store layout.

Even in the absence of this weekend’s upcoming crowds, the store’s staged rooms and displays were visually overwhelming. The upper floor contains all their room displays with items shown in context to help you with design ideas. The lower floor has all the individual merchandise and the warehouse stock. IKEA’s merchandising is impressive–they even show the entire room dioramas with an all-for-one price in case you like every single piece in their staged room.

I’m no IKEA furniture fanboy, but I was impressed with the organization and preparation for what will undoubtedly be a legendary retail onslaught this upcoming weekend Wednesday, July 25. Five days away from opening and the store was 99% ready for customers already. Employees appeared to be focused and driven to finish their merchandising preparation–yet each was exceedingly patient while we lolly-gagger ‘journalists’ ogled the merchandise and slowed their progress.

That said, heaven help anyone bound for the PDX airport this weekend next week, ‘cuz it’s going to be ugly. The routes in and out of Cascade Station are limited and there have been historic traffic jams, even tramplings, in previous IKEA openings.

IKEA officials are braced for the mayhem with lots of extra traffic police, etc. They are even encouraging the party atmosphere with planned festivities like a campout in the IKEA parking lot, starting as early as Monday night (July 23). The first 100 adults in line get a very nice leather chair. They are also handing out 2,500 mystery bags with various coupons and prizes to early-birds in line.

Even without the grand opening party (and despite its unpopular big box footprint), IKEA would have done very well in Portland anyway. They have a good record of sustainable production practices, a good corporate stewardship reputation…and good grief, the stuff is exceedingly affordable (I will stop just short of ‘cheap’). They will even give you a $10 home delivery credit for taking the MAX to the store this weekend.

What does this have to do with Portland real estate? Not much, but I was impressed by their kitchen cabinets, counters, faucets, and range hoods. We toured with the Willamette Week writers, and one told me he had done his entire kitchen for under $1,000 with IKEA cabinets and counters. The drawer units I tried had those slow-close rails and felt substantial to the touch. While their designs continue to be predominately modern and spare in nature, many major furniture item designs were moving more toward the mainstream, and I have a feeling we’ll be seeing more IKEA-designed kitchen remodels in Portland in the near future.

Technorati Tags: IKEA, Portland, Oregon, grand opening, retail, furniture

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Entry Filed under: Diversions, Lifestyle, Remodeling