Ikea open in Aotearoa

It’s been almost a decade coming, but Ikea is officially open in Aotearoa. StopPress deputy editor Zahra Shahtahmasebi was at the December 4 launch party. The trip came with a hot dog and a Djungelskog.

While the Tāmaki Makaurau motorways were super quiet, plenty of people queued up outside the nation’s first Ikea store.

How they got there, who’s to say?

For a week prior to the December 4 launch, signs all over the motorway urged commuters to take public transport. News articles discussed the 40-minute wait to leave the offramp and an hour wait time to find a park.

But, as the 11am opening loomed, Google Maps showed the city to Sylvia Park travel time was 13 minutes. Faster than a “good” traffic day.

Theories abounded among the StopPress team as to why.

“Maybe it’s reverse psychology – everyone was talking about going so now no one is?” I mused.

“Is it possible that… people paid attention to the signs saying take public transport?” asked StopPress editor Penny Murray. “Imagine if Ikea fixed Auckland’s traffic problems!”

Sustainability is Ikea’s MO after all.

All roads lead to Ikea

After some thought, I wonder if it was actually Murphy’s Law. I took the train to avoid spending hours in traffic only to find clear roads and plenty of car parks. If I had driven my car in though? Chaos everywhere, I’m sure of it.

Even before I got to Ikea, it was starting to feel like I couldn’t escape it. Signs in Britomart heralded its arrival. Signs on the floor in the Sylvia Park mall read: “Hej! Simple steps. Big ideas. This way.”

Signs outside the mall and down Mt Wellington Highway also made sure you weren’t going to miss the big blue and yellow shed.

I had been hearing some people planned to camp in the carpark overnight to be first inside the doors. But a PR team member told me that didn’t eventuate – a storm the night before had seemingly put people off.

At 10.10am, growing queues on both side of the doors and on the Sylvia Park airbridge were orderly and patient.

The doors have opened

The rest of the event was quite a novel for me. I don’t think I’ve ever attended the launch of a new retail store before, as a journalist or shopper.

Ikea staff rallied the people queuing outside as the clock ticked on and the sun continued to beat down, raising cheers and waves of the Swedish and Aotearoa flags.

Prime minister Christopher Luxon appeared about 15 minutes before the doors opened. He was joined by the minister for Auckland Simeon Brown, the MP for Maungakiekie Greg Fleming and the Ambassador of Sweden Klas Molin.

After a 10 second countdown, the clock struck 11am and the ribbon was cut by Luxon and his contingent as well as Ikea staff.

Then, the doors opened. Hats off to the staff, who had co-ordinated this part extremely well – entry into the store seemed very efficient.

The gaggle of guests entered the building and were accompanied with cheers, applause, more flag waving and even a Mexican wave or two from the team who lined the entryway and staircase.

Some stopped for a selfie with Luxon, before he was whisked upstairs to make “the first purchase”. Media crews followed suit, eager to get that checkout shot.

However, he was beaten to punch by a few other customers, who exited with an assortment of goods: candles, flat pack furniture and a Djungelskog – Ikea’s giant teddy bear.

The latter group I stopped, asking for the intel on where they found the bear. “In the children’s area, area 10,” they said. I would bank that information for later.

Great for competition

Luxon made it out, buying what appeared to be wine glasses among other items. After hearing from my editor that the hot dogs were worth having, I hastily scoffed a veggie dog with tomato relish (both are good) and headed outside for Luxon’s standup.

He was questioned about the impact this multinational brand would have on small business here in Aotearoa – many of which had expressed concern over the struggles they are already facing in the tough economic climate.

“This is great for competition, really great for consumers across New Zealand,” Luxon said in response.

“You’ve seen other retailers welcome the move as well. What it’s about is making sure we have more competition, New Zealanders get better deals and this is what this about.”

He adds that with Aotearoa changing its laws to ensure more international companies can get into the country sooner, more brands will be able to set up shop here.

“We’ve seen Costco, off the back of that legislation change and those law changes, commit to a second store in South Auckland. And as I’ve said to the CEO of Ikea as well, we want to make it easier for the second store to come as well.”

With just 10 minutes to spare before my next meeting, it was time for a speed run through the store. Thanks to a handy side door, I found the Djungelskog within a couple of minutes, but then proceeded to be lost within the Ikea maze. Thanks for a friendly shop assistant, I made my way out, bear in arms.

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