IKEA plans to open two new stores in Bangkok

[webfact]

IKEA plans to open two new stores in Bangkok


Store manager of IKEA Bangna Lacia Sherlock to the left at IKEA’s press conference. Photo: Lasse Henriksen

BANGKOK: -- Whitin the next 7 years IKEA will open two new stores in Bangkok. According to store manager Lacia Sherlock, the Swedish furniture store is currently experiencing a phenomenal growth.

Even though there were ten TV-Crews and two loaded glitter canons at IKEA’s catalogue release, the store manager Lacia Sherlock was wearing a standard yellow IKEA polo, flat shoes and pants with a utility pocket. After the catalogue was presented by a dance troupe, Lacia Sherlock could present IKEA’s expansion plans in Thailand and Southeast Asia. Ten new stores in ten years, two of them will be located in Bangkok; one in the western and one in the northern part of town.

The first store is set to open in about two and a half years, the second one in six to seven years. But according to Lacia Sherlock it is difficult to give an exact time frame due to complex rules connected with buying land in Thailand.

”Land acquisition is like a chess match in Bangkok. It literally changes from one day to another, but two years after the contract is signed there will be a store,” she says.

Last year IKEA in Thailand expected a growth of 6 percent, they experienced a staggering 13 percent growth. This year the goal is 6,5 percent. Lacia Sherlock explains how the Thais have embraced the self-service concept at IKEA.

”Saturday and Sunday the loading area is full of trucks and SUV’s. Only 3 percent of our customers choose to have their furniture delivered, the same goes for assembly,” she says.

The political turmoil in Thailand does not seem to affect Lacia Sherlock’s look on the future and she expects continuous growth.

”Political unrest is part of everyday life here in Thailand, so it does not scare us,” she says.

Source: http://scandasia.com/ikea-plans-to-open-two-new-stores-in-bangkok/

-- ScandAsia 2014-09-03

[shirtless]

Please dont open any stores your products are cr&p.

[Stradavarius37]

Please dont open any stores your products are cr&p.

Thanks for that... Now back to the barstool you go...off you go then.

[Baerboxer]

Please dont open any stores your products are cr&p.

Thanks for that... Now back to the barstool you go...off you go then.

Careful if you sitting on an Ikea bar stool - might collapse under the weight.

[cooked]

Please dont open any stores your products are cr&p.

Thanks for that... Now back to the barstool you go...off you go then.

Careful if you sitting on an Ikea bar stool - might collapse under the weight.

I used IKEA furniture for many years, they don't collapse, unless of course you are the kind of person that doesn't understand the instructions. You have a choice between the cheap Chinese rubbish, IKEA or fairly expensive stuff made in Thailand. I am planning on doing our kitchen with 90% IKEA stuff. Maybe you should go visit IKEA sometime.

[masuk]

Hope they get to Chiang Mai some time soon. Their products are well made, thoroughly tested and have stood the test of time.

Yes, you get what you pay for. Buy cheap - get cheap.

[lust]

remind us again in 2 years, thanks

[96tehtarp]

A friend of mine bought the kitchen for his home in Rayong at IKEA in Bangkok and trucked it down from Bangkok. He saved a fortune compared to what local contractors were quoting him.

[Loles]

" Ten new stores in ten years " a specially NICE DREAM, but good for BST marketing as usually.

Land acquisition is like a chess match in Bangkok." welcome to high so Chinese land business in BKK

Other thing:

Mrs. Sherlock as store manager has asked the plebs "please tell me if you don't like anything in IKEA"

I have said (by small message slip) Please listen more for restaurant trays cause they are always wet and so dirty! Disgusting. In EU I have never seen this frugality.

The result came: now WETTER and DIRTIER than before. You have to check 3-5 trays to chose one. Congratulation Mrs. Holmes, may be you have to ask Dr. Watson ..

BUT if I look Mrs. Sherlock's dressing for their TV presented action, I'm not surprised at all, good to see, she didn't take a hammer or screw-driver with her ...

Edited September 3, 2014 by Loles

[Loles]

Please dont open any stores your products are cr&p.

First at all take you shirt.

Second, you have not any obligation to buy anything in IKEA. If you are high so, buy furniture in Index (same quality, higher price, long waiting for them BUT empty stores) If you are cheap buy furniture in Indian shops at Samrong.

Third, I use many IKEA furniture and accessories at home and here also, and the price/quality rate is full OK.

[Don Aleman]

I bought a lot of stuff from them in the US - super quality, things not available elsewhere, low prices and neat stores. I sure hope they add Pattaya to the new store list !

[lee b]

Wonder if they will make them from flat pack? Hope there careful as that last screw that holds it together will be missing !!! haha

[balo]

If you're looking for a comfortable, soft mattress in Thailand it's almost impossible to find for a good price. I saved almost15000 baht buying a very nice, soft mattress at Ikea. So Im very happy they're here.

[Torrens54]

That gives me a great IKEA!

How about opening one here in Chiang Mai?

Edited September 3, 2014 by Torrens54

[ResandePohm]

It will give many locals employment

[millwall_fan]

I bought a tin opener at IKEA Bangna earlier this year and it knocks spots of the locally made ones. They've also go an eclectic little food department selling all manner of Swedish delicacies. All in all, fun for an annual visit.

[namdocmai]

They also have great meatballs and smoked salmon.

I wouldn't want their furniture though,it is a feast for termites.

[inbangkok]

IKEA furniture, for the most part, is overpriced garbage. Particle board or plywood with a laminate coating. Pretty much everything else IKEA offers is OK though.....and a great selection obviously.

[AlexRRR]

ikea........i have just a little more class than you.

[rgs2001uk]

Please dont open any stores your products are cr&p.

Thanks for that... Now back to the barstool you go...off you go then.

Careful if you sitting on an Ikea bar stool - might collapse under the weight.

I used IKEA furniture for many years, they don't collapse, unless of course you are the kind of person that doesn't understand the instructions. You have a choice between the cheap Chinese rubbish, IKEA or fairly expensive stuff made in Thailand. I am planning on doing our kitchen with 90% IKEA stuff. Maybe you should go visit IKEA sometime.

I did, I found I could buy mai daeng cheaper than the mai at rubbish sold elsewhere.

Ikea Bang Na, where the peasants go to escape the heat and humidty of Bkk and lap up the free air conditioning.

Been there done that.

[JSixpack]

Forum hot button!

Well, this article is obviously nonsense. Our forum furniture experts, connoisseurs, landed gentry, royalty, and big spenders all predicted Ikea would fail when it opened in Bagna. Furniture's crap, service crap, can't find anything, checkout mess, meatballs are horse meat, no help getting the goods to the car in the parking lot (gotta drive the car to the loading dock!!!), delivery expense, parts missing, can't figure out the assembly . . . blah, blah, blah. All the typical doomsaying--and, as it turns out, with typical accuracy.

So let's hear the same thing all over again now re: the new stores.

Edited September 3, 2014 by JSixpack

[balo]

Ikea is good value for money , and I found both mattresses and chairs that are of better quality than ordinary furniture shops in Thailand offer .

Edited September 3, 2014 by balo

[96tehtarp]

IKEA wouldn't expand here unless they were sure of success. The Thai people are going to love it!

[ResandePohm]

Ikea is good value for money , and I found both mattresses and chairs that are of better quality than ordinary furniture shops in Thailand offer .

I have shopped at IKEA in various countries for many years. I have found that the cheapest furniture they have is not the most beautiful but very good if you are starting a family where kids will crayon and paint things and generally bash them around. After a few years you will need to replace stuff and second time around you can get better quality IKEA furniture. You can be negative and criticize IKEA all you want but for a growing family IKEA is ideal. In no country will IKEA load your car for you but they will deliver at a charge (why should they do it free?)

All you whingers and moaners who think you can get get better elsewhere by all means do so. However I have found IKEA to be good quality, not the best, but good enough for a growing family and very reasonably priced.

[namdocmai]

Yes they have the real latex mattresses at IKEA, i bought 2 of those thick springloaded thai ones but still dream of a real latex mattress. One day i will order some from IKEA.

Also stainless steel kitchenproducts are great from Ikea, their service is great, nobody annoys me while shopping there, nice hotdogs/soft ice/ chocolate. I only don't like the woodchips furniture because termites will eat them and they can't stand floodings. If they can fix that problem they will be huge in Asia.

So far my teakwood handmade furniture was cheaper then similar stuff from Ikea and teakwood is termiteproof, waterproof and much stronger, can stand sunshine, doesn't need to be painted and looks great.

[rwhoov]

ikea........i have just a little more class than you.

Looking at your avatar, I doubt it.

[mike324]

IKEA furniture, for the most part, is overpriced garbage. Particle board or plywood with a laminate coating. Pretty much everything else IKEA offers is OK though.....and a great selection obviously.

right on, same goes for most furniture you find anywhere. I have to say SB and Index are a tad better due to the fact that they use thicker boards, items like closets are priced about the same so I would steer towards the two Thai brands, Ikea's stuff is just flimsy. SB and Index offers free delivery and assembly, their service are actually top notch if you have any problems. People like Ikea due to their designs and cost, not quality. People who thinks ikea products are good quality don't know whats good quality furniture.

Stay away from those small furniture shops ones that are not Index or SB Furniture, why? because they don't use modern machines to laminate the particle / plywood boards, therefore their covering tend to be lower quality, less durable, and not as nicely done.

You can get solid wood furniture for around 30% more, though less stylish at Bang Bon area in Thailand.

Small decorating items and accessories are good buy at Ikea.

[RT85]

well.. ikea used to be made of substandard quality... but was very much affordable...

today.. it's still made of the same quality... but the variety of designs are staggering.. and to be honest they do have some great concepts..

unfortunately i find that the prices are way too high for quality of product. especially the biiger furniture pieces.... in general the smaller wares are decent.. though don't really last long either..

just my opinion.. i've lived with, self assembled many many ikea pieces over the years...

a buddy of mine once had his entire apartment designed and fitted out by the ikea team... spend about 2million baht i think...

he regrets it to this day... LOL!!!

[AlexRRR]

Reminds me of the time i was hired to build a dream for an aussie guy, he owned a warehouse partly converted, since he had married his scandinavian gf and was expecting he needed to finnish his dream before baby came...well he had something that resembled drawings...

We went over it all, 4 levels, and a few hours later he says do you understand? i said sure....something like ikea...well wasnt he pissed.