Ikea coming to Jacksonville

[Tacachale]

I wouldn't be terribly encouraged in our case, as Ikea's saying explicitly that they only look at areas with over 2 million people within 50 or 60 miles, and they have basically no exceptions to that. There may be around 2 million within 70 or 80 miles of Jacksonville, but even then a lot of them would be as close, or nearly as close, to the existing Orlando store.

Nashville may be an interesting case, or at least interesting as the site selection of big box stores possibly can be, because while they may not have quite the population figures Ikea is looking for, they are a hub for their region and can offer things no other city in Tennessee can.

Ariesjow, please do keep us posted on your progress with a Nashville forum. As far as breadth and range goes, I'd consider metrojacksonville one of the best models in the country.

[finehoe]

Whether or not IKEA is your own personal cup of tea, every one I've ever visited has always been swarming with customers and a nearly-full parking lot.  Surely the sales taxes alone would be a welcome addition to the city.

[thelakelander]

Yeah, take our shipyards property, combine it with the 600' public pier and 'The Jacksonville Quay' with festival seafood, farm and nautical markets, plop an Ikea and Bass Pro on the Bay Street side and jump back and watch it happen! INSTANT SUCCESS!

Unless you're going to build it in the river, I don't think an IKEA would fit on the Shipyards site.

[kln1323]

Cool,  it is snap together cheap furniture.   Who cares

[I-10east]

^^^That's exactly the way I feel.

[duvaldude08]

Cool,  it is snap together cheap furniture.   Who cares

Right! I can get that from Wal Mart

[finehoe]

ONE hot summer’s day a Fox was strolling through an orchard till he came to a bunch of Grapes just ripening on a vine which had been trained over a lofty branch. “Just the things to quench my thirst,” quoth he. Drawing back a few paces, he took a run and a jump, and just missed the bunch. Turning round again with a One, Two, Three, he jumped up, but with no greater success. Again and again he tried after the tempting morsel, but at last had to give it up, and walked away with his nose in the air, saying: “I am sure they are sour.”

[cityimrov]

Who cares

I don't get you guys.  The most popular discussion a week or so was the Human Rights Ordinance.  Yesterday it's IKEA and Trader Joes and how they aren't coming to Jacksonville because of major issues the city has.  Today it's how Jacksonville doesn't need an IKEA or a Trader Joes and Jacksonville will be just fine without them and the major issues the city has aren't really major issues. 

What going on here? 

[copperfiend]

Cool,  it is snap together cheap furniture.   Who cares

Honest question. Have you been inside an IKEA store?

[wsansewjs]

I think I might have some insight into this.

I actually opened talks with IKEA back in 2004 about opening a store here in jax on behalf of Elaine Brown who was the City Council President at the time.. We were looking at a Downtown location, not too far from the stadium.

We actually fit into their demographic forecast at the time, but they have other needs as well.

For one, they will only do it with a local partner.

The partner has to have 15 years of department store retail experience and be willing to provide detailed financials.

They have to have 20 million in the bank before starting.

There is also a foot print requirtement.

An Ikea in Jacksonville would have a retail domain that extends from Savannah to Gainseville and over to Tallahassee.  There are more than enough people in the area to support the demos.

The problem was the local partner.

The only company that qualified was Steinmart.

Peyton simply wasnt interested in bringing an IKEA downtown, and he shut down Council President Elaine Browns attempts to bring in retail anchors with a lack of action.

http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/about_ikea/the_ikea_way/faq/index.html

http://franchisor.ikea.com/showContent.asp?swfId=franchise9

How can I become a franchisee?
IKEA products are sold solely in stores operating the IKEA Retail System franchised by Inter IKEA Systems B.V. of the Netherlands.

Inter IKEA Systems B.V., the owner and world-wide franchisor of the IKEA Concept, aims to bring IKEA products to as many people as possible by franchising the IKEA Concept to IKEA Franchisees. Inter IKEA Systems B.V. constantly seeks market expansion, and grants new franchisees to markets/territories according to a detailed expansion plan.

Franchises are granted only to organizations and/or individuals that can secure a strong market position and market penetration in the given territory. Franchises are only granted to organizations and/or individuals that have extensive retail experience and solid local market knowledge. Opening an IKEA franchise requires a considerable investment by the IKEA franchisee.

Further information can be obtained by writing to:
Attention: Franchising
Inter IKEA Systems B.V.
Olof Palmestraat 1
NL 2616 LN Delft
The Netherlands

There you go, ladies and gentlemen! IKEA will not come here until we have a STRONG financially and fiscally responsible entity such as a company that can foot the bill, hold the bill, and reaps in the benefits if the market supports it.

Could Everbank-supported SteinMart be a IKEA's partner for the Greater Jacksonville Market? I ponders on...

Thanks for the insight, Stephen. Remind me to slap Mr. Peyton wherever I run into him for axing plenty of business opportunities.

-Josh

[vicupstate]

Hi guys. I'm a Nashville urban enthusiast who has been perusing Metro Jacksonville recently. While I'm not very tech-savvy at the moment, I would ultimately like to put together a forum like this one for the Nashville enthusiast who are pretty segmented among Urban Planet, Skyscrapercity, etc. at the moment. I thought I would take this opportunity to introduce myself and chime in on IKEA if you didn't mind.

Although I'm not obsessed with IKEA and generally find them to be a step below West Elm and a couple below Crate & Barrel in terms of quality, they are undeniably one of those big boxes that I consider "destination retail." From that standpoint alone, I really like what they can do for retail in an area and want one in Nashville. We've been waiting for an IKEA in the Nashville metro for a while now and have heard we were not a good candidate for years as well. IKEA rumors started to take a more positive tone when Boyle, a local developer, teamed up with Northwestern Mutual who owns quite a bit of property in the North Gulch area here.

Boyle and NW Mutual want to develop a little over 30 acres in this area into sort of a mini-Atlantic Station (ATL)-type mixed-use development with anchors such as IKEA, an urban Publix or an urban Target. An article in the local paper had stated that all three were in negotiations with the developers. Much to our chagrin, Boyle and NW Mutual have been extremely tight-lipped about the planning of this development since announcing plans last December. Buildings on the site have started coming down despite the silence from the developers. We're all very curious about what's going on behind the scenes. I've heard rumors that Target may be out, but nothing on IKEA and Publix. Nashville is just really now around that 2 million within a 40 to 60 mile radius that IKEA looks for with the Clarksville-Ft. Campbell metro under 50 miles away. I will definitely let you guys know if we hear positive news about IKEA in the near future as I imagine that would bode well for one in Jacksonville soon too.

I just returned yesterday from my first visit to Nashville.  I was very impressed with the very eclectic and urban vibe there.  Loved the new Convention Center under construction too.  That will be an amazing building when completed. 

Good luck to you with your new website.       

[Adam W]

I'm pretty sure most IKEA stores aren't franchises.

[ariesjow]

Thanks for the welcome, guys! The website you guys have put together is a very great resource. This is definitely the nicest and most comprehensive urbanist forum that I have come across for a city.

[Adam W]

I'm pretty sure most IKEA stores aren't franchises.

You are correct.  Its not most.

All of them are.

http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/about_ikea/the_ikea_way/faq/index.html

Can I distribute IKEA products?
Inter IKEA Systems B.V. in the Netherlands, is the owner of the IKEA concept and trademark. It has franchise agreements with every IKEA store in the world. The IKEA Group is the biggest franchisee. To read more, please visit About the IKEA Group. To read more about Inter IKEA Systems visit http://franchisor.ikea.com/index.asp

I believe the vast majority of IKEA stores are operated by IKEA Group. According to your link, they are considered a franchisee of IKEA, even though they are part of IKEA.

I was referring to independent franchisees, but I have to admit you are correct.

[ChriswUfGator]

I love this thread, seriously. People have been pining for an ikea for a decade, why I never knew, I really did hate their furniture from the beginning, it's ugly and cheap, I certainly wouldn't have been a customer, but nevertheless everybody was begging them to come here. Then they finally admit the obvious, that despite annexing all our suburbs in a 50 mile radius this place is still a backwater, and now everybody's all "We don't want them anyway, cheap Swedish crap" LMAO! Priceless. Just. Priceless. If this place were a person, you wouldn't have any trouble getting it baker acted for delusional and self-destructive behavior. Maybe now that ikea decided we have to double our population before they'll consider us, we'll drop the "Delta's ready when you are" attitude and revisit the things causing this place to stagnate. Beginning with the mobility fee, public transit, and the human rights ordinance.