[BadlyDrawnGirl]

For those of us who are obsessed with all things IKEA, there may be good news on the horizon. :laugh

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4705387a13.html

I know it's several months old, but it's still the most recent article I've found on it. I've also heard murmurs about them considering a site somewhere in Porirua...anyone hear anything about this? I know it's a bit premature, but we are crossing our fingers that they manage to open one by the time we get there! :D

[lindreth]

We were just at our local IKEA the other day to pick up a few things for family in Auckland. It's amazing how cheap some of that stuff is. I had to keep reminding myself that we are trying to DOWNsize right now. It's no time to be adding furniture/artwork/stuff!!! Not after all the purging we've done - selling or donating the excess stuff in anticipation of the move...

[BadlyDrawnGirl]

We just went to the brand new IKEA that opened here in Southampton last week, and I've now even more convinced that I want to fill my as-of-yet-unconstructed future home with cheap designer Swedish furniture. :laugh I can understand New Zealand's wanting to protect local businesses and enterprise, but honestly the few home furnishing stores they do have are either so overpriced or have such a limited selection it leaves you with basically 2-4 choices for just about anything, nothing more. I'd be willing to bet the Red Shed has primarily been the one behind the opposition to building an IKEA in Auckland. Grrr...

[Swedenz]

My hubby actually works for IKEAs head office (the mothership:laugh) here in Sweden!!

Will see if he can find anything out about the NZ store:nice1

Shall really miss the store once we move to NZ ...and the Swedish food market!:wah

[BadlyDrawnGirl]

My hubby actually works for IKEAs head office (the mothership:laugh) here in Sweden!!

Will see if he can find anything out about the NZ store:nice1
OMG that would be awesome! Cheers!...or rather, Godspeed you brave IKEA warrior! :D

[napiers]

We just went to the brand new IKEA that opened here in Southampton last week, and I've now even more convinced that I want to fill my as-of-yet-unconstructed future home with cheap designer Swedish furniture. :laugh I can understand New Zealand's wanting to protect local businesses and enterprise, but honestly the few home furnishing stores they do have are either so overpriced or have such a limited selection it leaves you with basically 2-4 choices for just about anything, nothing more. I'd be willing to bet the Red Shed has primarily been the one behind the opposition to building an IKEA in Auckland. Grrr...

I haven't yet ventured to the new one in Southampton - hoping to wait till the excitement dies down!! Perhaps this weekend - I'm just glad it's opened before we move - at least we'll be able to take stuff with us.:clap

[James 1077]

Noooooooooooooo. Please lets have a concerted effort to keep Ikea out of New Zealand!

Apart from the hotdogs - they can come!

It is almost a joy to put together New Zealand flat pack made of proper wood; and to have furniture in our house which doesn't break after 6 months is simply amazing.

We found that Target had similar prices to Ikea in the UK, was about 100 times better quality and had excellent customer services too.

All an Ikea would do is to decrease the quality everywhere else as they try to compete (at least that is what seems to have happened in the UK).

[Jacqi B]

and to have furniture in our house which doesn't break after 6 months is simply amazing.

My Ikea bed, wardrobes and armchair are going strong after seven years

[Janey]

I agree with you James I like the difference of NZ shops hey people can always shop at wharehouse!

[Flutterby]

i have Ikea stuff that has lasted much longer than six months....and is made of real wood! It gets rather a thrashing in this household with a hyper little one around, and hasn't broken!

[Chiba]

Ikea do have a range, from flat packed compressed pulp rubbish to real wood. The price difference can be pretty extreme. If you buy the cheap MDF cr-p you get... cheap MDF crap. Our solid oak dining table came from Ikea, weighs a *ton*, and I fully expect it to last forever.

Let them come! It's not just the ridiculous cost differential where NZ furniture loses out - I'm tired of seeing furniture shops here full of almost identical squishy sofas finished in shades of beige/brown pleblon. Ick.

[dharder]

I really miss IKEA, especially the meat balls :)

I am really disappointed in anything 'interior' here, it's either cheap rubbish, or expensive rubbish, or very expensive-and-then-not-quite-so-rubbishy, but most of it is pretty ugly. And it's all made in China.

Some of my IKEA shelves are 20+ years old (gotta love IVAR), and they are absolutely fine. Can't find anything similar here at all.

To anyone moving here in the next few years, bring what you can, I wouldn't bet on IKEA opening here anytime soon :(

Daniela

[Kate D]

My Ikea bed, wardrobes and armchair are going strong after seven years

My Ikea stuff is still going strong after 9 years and four international moves...! Nothing much can compete with a Billy bookcase for indestructability, and with half height doors with different door handles, I think they look pretty good too! My solid wooden table, spare room bed and wardrobes too, have more than stood the test of time!

I am a flat pack master - a few variations and you've got it sorted for ever so never understood what all the fuss was about!

I have plenty of non Ikea stuff too, but I'm a big fan...

[lockstock]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

[hosebergine]

I've got some Ikea stuff - some has lasted years, some hasn't. It's great for storage, especially with the kids. But, I'm not sure if I'd like one in NZ - not there yet so don't know what the competition is really like. It would be nice to think you'd go into people's houses over there and not know the name of their bookcases and sideboards though. And that stuff is bought for the longer term in NZ......

[Swedenz]

...well GOOD and BAD news for you all from the mothership.....

Good news for those of you against IKEA coming down under to NZ and not so good news for those of you missing the flatpacks and alan keys....

It doesnt look like they will be coming for a good few years yet, despite the rumours:exit

However opening of a new store is ALL very top secret...so who knows as they definitely have looked into coming and can purchase the land years before they intend building a store!

...Im hoping they do come:D

[BadlyDrawnGirl]

Crap. :( You weren't able to find out the reasons behind their decision, were you? I'd be interested to see if it was due to external pressure, or just uncertainty about the profitability of a New Zealand store. (As I've said before, I'd bet money on it being the first one, lol.)

[SarahEDH]

This is slightly off-topic, sorry, but I think there is good furniture to be found, in antique shops. The style won't be to everyone's taste and the prices can be steep but you can find beautiful well-made pieces, many of which were brought from England or elsewhere by migrants. When I lived near Wellington I used to go up to Greytown and look through the antique shops there -- lovely!

[napiers]

Don't have any Ikea furniture at home but our staff room is Ikea furnished. We got the 4 sofas and chairs, and a table 4 and half years ago and with a comfy staffroom and a staff of 50-60 the stuff we have has had many more years worth of use! One chair has died but everything else is still good! I'm just excited because we now have one in Southampton - it'll be nice to have a choice of shop to think about if we need/want to replace stuff we've got in the year or so before we move. I've got plenty of 'nicer' stuff to ship as well!! :D

[BkyMonster]

I thought the issue was traffic control with the site that was purchased?
As I understood it, land was purchased (in Mt. Wellington) and building was due to begin 2009, but approval for building wasn't given due to fears over traffic congestion. Issues with traffic flow seem to actually be the main issue. Not really an idle fear from my point of view.


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10490969

[dharder]

And that stuff is bought for the longer term in NZ......

That hasn't been my experience at all. Stuff is just as replaceable and breaks as quickly as it does everywhere else.

Daniela