Ikea coming to Jacksonville

[thelakelander]

I know I pointed this out before, but if you extend their 60 mile radius to 70 we'll be at the golden 2 million population. Plus we can bring in folks from southern Georgia and northern Florida where there will never be a store.

Excluding rural counties, here's the 2014 population of the Jax, Gainesville, Brunswick and Daytona (includes Palm Coast) MSAs:

1,419,127 - Jacksonville MSA (2014 population)

609,939 - Deltona/Daytona Beach/Ormond Beach MSA (89.1 miles between DT Daytona and DT Jax)

273,377 - Gainesville MSA (71.6 miles between DT Gainesville and DT Jax)

114,806 - Brunswick MSA (69.4 miles between DT Brunswick and DT Jax)

2,417,249 - Combined 2014 population

[billy]

Who is the franchisee?

[thelakelander]

hmm.  looks like Jax was bigger than you thought, lake.  Lol.

Not really. Over three years have passed since that quote. Our region has grown a lot since then and so have the smaller MSAs within an hour's drive of our market. In reality, draw a 60 mile circle around Ikea's selected site and you're probably close to that 2 million number today.  It's just not all Jax by itself.

[thelakelander]

Btw, also read my 2012 quote. I clearly stated there were some exceptions. Charlotte and Austin were approaching 2 million. Both have passed that mark in 2015.

Charlotte 2014 MSA population - 2,380,314 (1,795,472 - 2011)

Austin 2014 MSA population - 1,943,299 (1,783,519 - 2011)

Give it another three years, and you'll find another host of cities approaching 2 million within a 60 mile radius.

[CityLife]

It's closer to the SJTC than the Orlando IKEA is to Disney. It's about as close to the actual town center as it can possibly be. IKEA takes up a pretty big chunk of space. You couldn't squeeze an IKEA into the actual shopping center without demolishing a good portion of it.

I was referencing Ikea's proximity to Mall at Millennia.  I guess Disney was unnecessary information...other than the need I felt to give a valid excuse as to why I was in Orlando 

Don't worry. The surrounding properties will be developed before you know it. Just look at Town Center Parkway. All of that is new development that was built after 2005.

I believe the Ikea site is part of the same 140 acre tract that Top Golf is also building on. Owned by the Skinner family. I had heard a few months back that they were working on a top secret project, but would have never guessed IKEA. I'm pretty sure there is another very cool business snooping around that area as well.

Take an aerial of the land south of JTB and east of 295 right now and compare it to what it will look like in 10 years. Going to be a massive amount of growth in that direction in the coming years.

[thelakelander]

hmm.  interesting prediction. 

We may be a few numbers short, but I think incentives, mail orders and those communities closer to Jax then any other store could push us over the top pretty easily. What is the closest store to Tallahassee? What's the MSA population? Add just those closer ones and you hit the 2 million mark with some to spare.

Waycross MSA 50,000
Camden County MSA 50,000
Valdosta MSA 140,000
Lake City MSA 67,000
Gainesville MSA 260,000

567,000 more easily within the trade area.

This is not a situation where IKEA (or anybody else) wants to 'stay out of Jax.' They are in business to make money, they have a formula, and if we can show that we meet that grade, we're in. If IKEA finds a hot market for ultra-modern isn't even a consideration, with a segment of our city considered lower wage, they'll blow Wal-Mart out of the water on those little things like dinnerware, baskets, curtains etc.. They'll come, just don't worry if it's not announced tomorrow.

Gainesville?  That population is just as likely to drive to an existing store in metro Tampa or Orlando. Stretching to include Valdosta/Tallahassee as a part of your core market demographics? We're really in trouble.

sorry Ock, but the article is pretty clear on what IKEA considers its core market area...

"Roth explained that when IKEA looks for a site, it needs a population of at least 2 million people within 40-60 miles or within 40-60 minutes of drive-time."

given this, Lake City, Palm Coast and Gainesville are out...and south Georgia and Palatka might also not work depending on location.

It takes me 45 minutes to get from my condo off I-95 and JTB to my Daytona area office in Ormond Beach on I-95. I regularly reach I-4 in 60 minutes from JTB, during my drives to DeLand and Orlando for work. Be thankful for sprawl growth over the last couple of years. Adding Palm Coast, St. Marys, Brunswick, the Daytona areas alone probably gets 2 million within that 60 mile/minute drive mark by 2017.

[Adam White]

Yes, we can all now go buy cheap particleboard furniture together!

They make wood furniture as well. And metal stuff.

and horsemeat balls!

FIFY

[johnnyliar]

^ Still delicious.

[ProjectMaximus]

My first visit to IKEA was in Malaysia as a little kid and seriously they had amazing chicken curry. So that's my first thought when I think of the store, not meatballs.

[Adam White]

^ Still delicious.

Hey, no argument there. Of course, I'm not "Swedish".

[I-10east]

Jax is still 'underachieving, resting on our laurels, and getting left in the dust' because this IKEA isn't gonna be downtown, amirite???

[I-10east]

Okay I'm late to the party, IKEA will be out SJTC. People think that it's bad now, traffic is gonna be crazy out there.

[spuwho]

Okay I'm late to the party, IKEA will be out SJTC. People think that it's bad now, traffic is gonna be crazy out there.

They are back to harvesting the remaining trees on the Skinner properties at SJTC again. The agent and developer have put up new signs. With Top Golf signed up and Red Robin on the way and Books A Million right behind them, now Ikea, it is going to be crazy come Christmas in 2017.

The "success" of SJTC may be their undoing in the future.

[InnerCityPressure]

Jax is still 'underachieving, resting on our laurels, and getting left in the dust' because this IKEA isn't gonna be downtown, amirite???

I am actually cool with Ikea not being DT.  It would be awesome if DT could keep a more local vibe like Charleston or Savannah.  They have their share of chains, but for the most part, you are getting a unique experience.  In ATL, I can go to Ikea or TJ Maxx or Maggianos anywhere.  I don't care if there is a location DT.  Give me a unique DT and keep the chains where they belong.  I'm all good with how this worked out.  Still a nice, new flow of people coming through our city and everyone from Gainesville, Tallahassee and Savannah are going to pass the core to get there.  The new mission of the core is to get them to stop instead of spending their day shopping in the burbs.

[Ocklawaha]

CONNECT IT! Where there is a will, there is a way.
(This one is in Portland Oregon)