Ikea Mega Stores Coming To Bangkok Soon

[Priceless]

Their furnitures are not cheap anymore, trust me

I have been going to IKEA since during my uni years.

I think that their desired market position is "Value for money".

Have you got any inside information on what their pricing will be like here in Thailand, or what market are you basing your opinion on?

/ Priceless

Well used to be "good value for money" during my uni years....good for us, uni kids----very afforable and many stuffs w/ COOL design....That was 8-9 yrs agos.

Oh I'm still going over there today, however over the years their stuffs are getting more expensive without any major improvement in quality,....comparing to many home furnishishing stores nearby here in the US.

Their furnitures are now crappy made.....may be coz they had recently changed the suppliers/mfgr?....hmm

Most flat packs used to make in the Czech, but now are made in Luthilania and others poorer eastern european countries without the quality control.

Just my personal experiences and opinions shopping at IKEA

Where's that

/ Priceless

[teacup]

Their furnitures are now crappy made.....may be coz they had recently changed the suppliers/mfgr?....hmm

Most flat packs used to make in the Czech, but now are made in Luthilania and others poorer eastern european countries without the quality control.

Just my personal experiences and opinions shopping at IKEA

Where's that

/ Priceless

somewhere in eastern europe, not sure how to spell it....

[Hawkup2000]

Yay - with a little bit of luck I can finally start picking up some real food-products from back home too...

Ahlgrens bilar and Scans meatballs?

[PoorSucker]

I'm glad too.

But their stuffs have been getting more and more expensive over this last few years, here in the US.

It used to have quite reasonable prices, but not anymore.

Many of their funitures, well I can find them with better quality and prices... at many high end store nearby.

Just my experiences here

Not to mention many of their .."ready to assemble" pieces.....DEAR LORD!!!

It will be amusing to watch many of the thais with those instruction pamplets

:D :D

Finally, been waiting for this.

Glad to read that nobody is negative.

Viking power.

[bellestar]

this is great news! which means more and more reasons to go shopping! i also heard H&M is going to set up shop in BKK this year-- any other great stores on their way to LOS?

[teacup]

Who is H&M?

and

POORSUCKER...

I would never say any bad about my own fellow countrymen....

err... at least not directly!

Edited May 13, 2009 by teacup

[Phil Conners]

H&M is to clothes what Ikea is to furniture.

Looking forward to go shopping in Ikea again. Can imagine I'll replace about half of my furniture

[teacup]

One thing for sure....

It will be one of the place that will draw more crowd than a temple fair...

[Priceless]

Their furnitures are now crappy made.....may be coz they had recently changed the suppliers/mfgr?....hmm

Most flat packs used to make in the Czech, but now are made in Luthilania and others poorer eastern european countries without the quality control.

Just my personal experiences and opinions shopping at IKEA

Where's that

/ Priceless

somewhere in eastern europe, not sure how to spell it....

I take it you were not a geography major at university

/ Priceless

[Langsuan Man]

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned my biggest complaint about Ikea, they FORCE me to walk the entire store, with no going back, to find what I want

Sort of like escalators that make me to traverse the whole sales floor to continue up or down

[bertlamar]

H&M is to clothes what Ikea is to furniture.

Looking forward to go shopping in Ikea again. Can imagine I'll replace about half of my furniture

For clothing, H&M Topshop and Zara (the 3 heavyweights of cheap RTW) are all here....and AFAIK Zara and Mango as the first are doing fairly well.

They didn't have any real competition when they came...on the other hand Index SP etc are all here, in good locations, with their own retail chains and are likely to fight.

Could end up like some of the other 'must come to town' retailers who didn't do quite as well as predicted - Tiffanys, Wendys - however I think they'll do well, just will never have the saturation levels of Index etc; they are a niche player and if they play that role with mega stores, then they can do well.

Mind you, the link to SF and Major as a result leaves some interesting possibiilties as another anchor...movie theater+gym+Ikea+F&B....not a bad combo.

[Dave the Dude]

I wonder if Thailand will follow the model I have experienced in the UK of having the slowest and most mentally challenged check-out staff.

The hot dogs are good though!

Dave

[baabaabobo]

[Priceless]

H&M is to clothes what Ikea is to furniture.

Looking forward to go shopping in Ikea again. Can imagine I'll replace about half of my furniture

For clothing, H&M Topshop and Zara (the 3 heavyweights of cheap RTW) are all here....and AFAIK Zara and Mango as the first are doing fairly well.

They didn't have any real competition when they came...on the other hand Index SP etc are all here, in good locations, with their own retail chains and are likely to fight.

Could end up like some of the other 'must come to town' retailers who didn't do quite as well as predicted - Tiffanys, Wendys - however I think they'll do well, just will never have the saturation levels of Index etc; they are a niche player and if they play that role with mega stores, then they can do well.

Mind you, the link to SF and Major as a result leaves some interesting possibiilties as another anchor...movie theater+gym+Ikea+F&B....not a bad combo.

Well, there is such a thing as "economy of scale". IKEA is the world's largest furniture manufacturer and retailer and have been going for over 60 years. As of October 2008, the chain had 286 stores (32 of them franchisees) in 36 countries with ~135,000 employees.

/ Priceless

[canuckamuck]

I remember when Ikea was wonderful. Cool stuff, reasonable prices. Now they still have some cool stuff. But not cool enough for the price, and some of it is crap.

[Hawkup2000]

Funny story.

Ikea have a tradition of naming their products after Swedish cities/names. I remember when the rumor that Ikea was about to launch a product named after our little town. A lot of talk among the people. We kids at school had to draw what what product we thought our town be naming e ct.

The day when the catalog was released it was reviled that our town had given name to a toilet brush. I wonder why the talk stopped quickly?

[mamanoodle]

I wonder if Thailand will follow the model I have experienced in the UK of having the slowest and most mentally challenged check-out staff.

The hot dogs are good though!

Dave

No no, visit the resto first for meatballs and lingonberry sauce or fab salmon or fried potato veggie thing they once had as special in the metrocentre branch and you can happily bypass the hotdogs,maybe not the ice cream tho, at the exits, after buying meatballs, coffee and great biccies at the grocery section! Although probably even more expensive here than in the UK, miss me longanberry jam tho!!

Visited Hanoi last Nov and spotted loads of people with Ikea bags, asked in vain about the store, only to find that they make the bags there and use excess material to make loads more to sell!!!

[HagenvonTronje]

I remember when Ikea was wonderful. Cool stuff, reasonable prices. Now they still have some cool stuff. But not cool enough for the price, and some of it is crap.

the good old days.

students had the chance to make a little bit money on the side with renting ikea show rooms to clueless japanese tourists.

[Billion]

Same as McDonald's then!

Ikea, I'm Lovin' it

[Phil Conners]

Funny story.

Ikea have a tradition of naming their products after Swedish cities/names. I remember when the rumor that Ikea was about to launch a product named after our little town. A lot of talk among the people. We kids at school had to draw what what product we thought our town be naming e ct.

The day when the catalog was released it was reviled that our town had given name to a toilet brush. I wonder why the talk stopped quickly?

ROFL, now that IS funny. I've probably cleaned my toilet with your town!

No no, visit the resto first for meatballs and lingonberry sauce or fab salmon or fried potato veggie thing they once had as special in the metrocentre branch and you can happily bypass the hotdogs,maybe not the ice cream tho, at the exits, after buying meatballs, coffee and great biccies at the grocery section! Although probably even more expensive here than in the UK, miss me longanberry jam tho!!

Hmmmm ... Droool... Never mind the price, it will be cheaper than fly home to get it

[RubbaJohnny]

Hi

well be nice to see swedish bread and rollmops

As stated above Index shares will plummet

Any 'Handyfalang' needing income boost could copy enterprising UK odd job man who offers to assemble IKEA in seconds

Watch this space

I have to borrow my plumbers toolkit some PTF a Philips screwdriver and a lump of wood !

Of course like the Asean summit self sufficiency and Taksins 2nd coming may all be Pxxx in the wind

Vamos a ver from sweltering interior aka

stIKEA

[PoorSucker]

Hope nobody dies in the opening stampede.

[geriatrickid]

actually, I think you'll find Ikea is similar price to Index etc; a lot of those guys make Ikea stuff OEM anyhow AFAIK.

Overrated cheap junk - rather would buy real wood furniture than MDF junk anyhow (all the ones listed above).

I don't think the people that have fallen for the marketing of IKEA are going to have an easy time accepting what you say. The stuff deteriorates fast in humid conditions. But hey, it's Walmart for the people that think they are socially conscious.

Will IKEA's franchise holder actually implement the same social policies in Thailand as IKEA does in the western market? I'll believe it when I see IKEA offering;

- free recycling for fluorescent lamps, and batteries,

- enforces a lumber source policy,

- uses the same working conditions, child labour practices and discrimination rules

- provides minimum wages, overtime rates and trade union representation rights

Aint gonna happen is it? If IKEA insists on it, then I'll be more than happy to go buy some food there and hopefully a non chinese made lamp that doesn't burst into flames.

[snowflake]

IKEA, finally something for the people living in small apartments and condo's... Where else can you see a complete room fitted just the way you like it???

I used to shop alot at IKEA back home, one of the best things were that they had a demonstration model and several options and set ups for rooms, just so you could get a nice place (like they have)... IKEA is perfect and I have many times wondered why it is not here.

Meatballs must come too, I know I will travel up there to go shopping once it is open!

I LOVE IKEA

[Priceless]

actually, I think you'll find Ikea is similar price to Index etc; a lot of those guys make Ikea stuff OEM anyhow AFAIK.

Overrated cheap junk - rather would buy real wood furniture than MDF junk anyhow (all the ones listed above).

I don't think the people that have fallen for the marketing of IKEA are going to have an easy time accepting what you say. The stuff deteriorates fast in humid conditions. But hey, it's Walmart for the people that think they are socially conscious.

Will IKEA's franchise holder actually implement the same social policies in Thailand as IKEA does in the western market? I'll believe it when I see IKEA offering;

- free recycling for fluorescent lamps, and batteries,

- enforces a lumber source policy,

- uses the same working conditions, child labour practices and discrimination rules

- provides minimum wages, overtime rates and trade union representation rights

Aint gonna happen is it? If IKEA insists on it, then I'll be more than happy to go buy some food there and hopefully a non chinese made lamp that doesn't burst into flames.

I don't have any connection to IKEA, so I can't know for absolutely sure. I do however have a background in marketing strategy which makes me think that you can be quite sure that they will follow exactly the same norms and mores that they apply in the rest of the world. The reasons are twofold:

- IKEA is famous for having an EXTREMELY strong corporate culture, which includes these norms and mores.

- Not adhering to these standards would constitute a major risk to their global reputation. This they would never do just to penetrate a very minor market like Thailand.

/ Priceless

[DaleBlue]

Another multination giant coming to take business away from Mon & Pop stores.

First the hypermarket (Tesco, Careforre, etc)

Than the DIY depot (HomePro HomeWork etc).

Now furniture (Index, IKEA, etc).

[danzee18]

Well. Good news. You almost can't find a house in Singapore that doesn't own an Ikea's product. Scan-style furniture is very IN.

[Texpat]

It's particleboard junk.

Every trailer park in Alabama and Mississippi is full of it.

Spend a few more baht in Thailand and you can get beautiful hardwood furniture, that will outlive you.

Albeit without the feelgood, tree-hugging slippers and steaming cup of sassafras/goat urine tea.

[BangkokJazz]

Any news? Where is it? When will it be open, etc.

[PoorSucker]

IKEA Will Finally Open in Thailand

Scandasia.com

Edited December 18, 2009 by PoorSucker