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What's the big Ikea?

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By Helen Carson
Wednesday Dec 12 2007

Northern Ireland consumers are bracing themselves for the home event of the year - the opening of iconic Swedish superstore Ikea.

The famous blue and yellow letters have been visible from Holywood Exchange in east Belfast for several weeks now. But it is less than 24 hours until the doors at Ikea, the international brand associated with affordable home style, open.

Belfast's Lord Mayor Jim Rodgers will unveil the store in typical Ikea fashion with a Swedish log-cutting ceremony along with Viking drummers, face-painting and a Cool FM Roadshow all adding to the carnival atmosphere.

Ikea Belfast is the first of its kind in Ireland and the 29,000 sq ft flagship store, which is the equivalent to five and a half football pitches, will stock over 9,500 items.

And Ikea's campaign, aimed at bringing colour into Ulster homes, has the catchphrase 'be brave, not beige' and is set to convert even the most style-challenged of us into homeware afficienados.

With its design-conscious furnishings in bright colours, the well-priced quality homeware is innovative and stylish without a designer price tag.

The 29,000 sq ft flagship store, equivalent to five-and-a-half football pitches, will stock over 9,500 items

And with a 565-seat restaurant (the largest in Northern Ireland), a creche and children's play area outside, it's a real family day out. But what has undoubtedly set Ikea apart from the crowd is its fusion of fashion and function at entry-level prices.

There are four basic design styles - young Swede, Country, Modern and Scandinavian. And its range of colourful textiles in bold colours is aimed at spearheading a mini interiors revolution.

As a flagship store everything from the Ikea range is available here. And Ikea Belfast is one of the first stores in the world to have a High Level Picking System (HLPS) at its warehouse. The special system means greater numbers and accessibility to products at one time.

Every customer through the doors gets a measuring tape, pencil and yellow pad when they walk in the door as part of the Ikea experience and a manned creche means parents can shop while the kids are supervised for up to 45 minutes.

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