Rain can't spoil IKEA opening

2.22.2009

IKEA faithful braved rain and snow to welcome the world’s largest home-furnishings retailer to University City.
The chain opened its first Carolinas store here on Feb. 18, with hundreds of shoppers waiting for hours in a soft rain to be the first to visit the store.
With 150,000 Carolinians already serious IKEA customers, the retailer knew that the University City opening would draw a crowd.
Joseph Roth, IKEA’s U.S. public-affairs director, said 100 people waited in line when he came by about 9:30 p.m. the night before the opening.
By the time he came back about 4:30 a.m., the crowd numbered several hundred people. And that was with a light rain falling.
The crowd swelled to several thousand as the 9 a.m. official opening time approached. District 4 Charlotte Council member Michael Barnes and District 3 County Commissioner George Dunlap helped raise flags at the IKEA entrance.
Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, IKEA U.S. President Mike Ward and Charlotte store manager Richard Castanon performed a Swedish custom – the cutting of a log for good luck for new homes and their guests.
Then the crowd surged into the 365,00-square-foot home-furnishings store, located, appropriately, on brand-new IKEA Boulevard.
IKEA doesn’t release visitor estimates – too helpful to competitors, Roth said. But clearly the event drew many thousands of people over the next few days, despite rain, and, eventually, a rare March snow storm.
The 1,700-space parking lot filled up on opening day and remained crowded for several more days. Police guided traffic through congested North Tryon Street and I-85. IKEA even operated a satellite parking area and shuttle bus at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre to help ease congestion.
Other than the snow, Roth says, “It was very typical of a very successful store opening.”

Want to go?

IKEA’s University City store is at 8300 IKEA Blvd. and City Boulevard, between I-85 and North Tryon Street. The store is open 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sundays. Its 350-seat restaurant opens at 9:30 a.m. Visit ww.ikea.com/us/en/store/charlotte to learn more about IKEA and the Charlotte operation, and to shop on line. Or call 704-549-4532.


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