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dairyairy
Joined: 17 May 2012
Location: South Korea
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dairyairy
Joined: 17 May 2012
Location: South Korea
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 Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 6:29 pm Post subject: |
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http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2014/12/19/2014121900850.html
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IKEA Opening Pulls Crowds Despite Freezing Weather
Shoppers braved freezing temperatures on Thursday to form a 200 m queue to the entrance of Korea's first IKEA furniture store.
Traffic near the KTX station in Gwangmyeong south of Seoul came to a grinding halt in front of the sprawling store, and IKEA staff only let in 20 customers every two minutes to prevent a stampede.
It was opening day for the country's first store of the world's largest furniture maker, and the biggest among 345 in some 42 countries, spanning 131,550 sq.m and displaying some 8,600 products.
A TV stand could be snapped up for W15,000 (US$1=W1,102), a stool costs as little as W5,000, and a leather couch sold for W679,000.
Many products are 10 to 15 percent more expensive than in Japan or China. But an IKEA spokesman said, "There are also a lot of products sold here that are the lowest-priced in the region, so there isn't much difference overall."
Customers complained about the long lines in temperatures of -13 degrees Celsius and the service quality in the store, where staff is kept to a minimum. Lee Eun-koo, a customer who came from Incheon, said, "I had to park my car far away because there was no space in front of the store and had to wait more than an hour to get in."
Some products sold out before noon, and customers suffered confusion among the numbered storage shelves that baffle visitors to IKEA stores around the world. IKEA earlier decided to offer installation and assembly services, as customers here are not accustomed to the trademark self-assembly products.
"The response from Korean customers has been greater than expected," the spokesman admitted. |
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atwood
Joined: 26 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 6:54 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the update, dairy.
It looks like all the complaints about high prices and the claims of competitors that Ikea goods couldn't match up with what Korean furniture stores had on offer aren't standing in the way of Koreans grabbing a plate of steaming Swedish meatballs and affordable home furnishings. |
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nicwr2002
Joined: 17 Aug 2011
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| Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 10:52 pm Post subject: |
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| dairyairy wrote: |
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2014/12/19/2014121900850.html
| Quote: |
IKEA Opening Pulls Crowds Despite Freezing Weather
Shoppers braved freezing temperatures on Thursday to form a 200 m queue to the entrance of Korea's first IKEA furniture store.
Traffic near the KTX station in Gwangmyeong south of Seoul came to a grinding halt in front of the sprawling store, and IKEA staff only let in 20 customers every two minutes to prevent a stampede.
It was opening day for the country's first store of the world's largest furniture maker, and the biggest among 345 in some 42 countries, spanning 131,550 sq.m and displaying some 8,600 products.
A TV stand could be snapped up for W15,000 (US$1=W1,102), a stool costs as little as W5,000, and a leather couch sold for W679,000.
Many products are 10 to 15 percent more expensive than in Japan or China. But an IKEA spokesman said, "There are also a lot of products sold here that are the lowest-priced in the region, so there isn't much difference overall."
Customers complained about the long lines in temperatures of -13 degrees Celsius and the service quality in the store, where staff is kept to a minimum. Lee Eun-koo, a customer who came from Incheon, said, "I had to park my car far away because there was no space in front of the store and had to wait more than an hour to get in."
Some products sold out before noon, and customers suffered confusion among the numbered storage shelves that baffle visitors to IKEA stores around the world. IKEA earlier decided to offer installation and assembly services, as customers here are not accustomed to the trademark self-assembly products.
"The response from Korean customers has been greater than expected," the spokesman admitted. |
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You have got to be kidding me...[/b] |
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tophatcat
Joined: 09 Aug 2006
Location: under the hat
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| Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 11:43 pm Post subject: |
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Korean furniture is way over priced. I bought a full size sofa for 700,000 won in a furniture district of the city. Actually, the furniture was being built across the street. It would have been over 1,000,000 in a low end department store.
I could have purchased the same quality sofa back home for around 500,000 won (less than $500).
I've been looking around for a nice solid wooden dining table with 4 wooden chairs. The cheapest thing I've found that's close to what I want is 1,600,000 won. I could get the equivalent back home for less than 900,000 won ($900).
It's the same as the Korean beef or Korean apples. 2X-4X times the price of the imports. I'm happy to see some competition. |
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Died By Bear
Joined: 13 Jul 2010
Location: On the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
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| Posted: Sat Dec 20, 2014 1:04 am Post subject: |
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| Ikea is low end shit furniture for the unwashed masses of the world. Where is knee-highs when you need her to explain what real furniture should look like. |
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tophatcat
Joined: 09 Aug 2006
Location: under the hat
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| Posted: Sat Dec 20, 2014 1:33 am Post subject: |
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| Died By Bear wrote: |
| Ikea is low end shit furniture for the unwashed masses of the world. Where is knee-highs when you need her to explain what real furniture should look like. |
Hence, the Korean masses waiting in line. |
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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Sat Dec 20, 2014 11:20 am Post subject: |
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| Over on the other site, a user commented that he went there and the shelves were mostly empty and that the cafeteria didn't even offer Swedish food but instead it sold Kimchi Bocumbap. |
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atwood
Joined: 26 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Sat Dec 20, 2014 8:00 pm Post subject: |
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| Died By Bear wrote: |
| Ikea is low end shit furniture for the unwashed masses of the world. Where is knee-highs when you need her to explain what real furniture should look like. |
You must be sitting in your Ekorne stressless office chair at your Herman Miller Airia desk with your Gruppo Telescopic desk lamp sipping on an espresso brewed up in your Kees van der Westen Mirage espresso maker.
All the while listening to Taylor Swift on your Beats.
You probably did shower, though. |
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matthews_world
Joined: 15 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Sat Dec 20, 2014 10:42 pm Post subject: |
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At an IKEA factory stores in China, at least in Shanghai, they serve cheap snack food, what you might find at Costco (beans and weenies).
The Chinese come to IKEA just to grab cheap eats. The stores in China allow kids to climb on their furniture. |
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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Mon Dec 22, 2014 4:20 pm Post subject: |
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| matthews_world wrote: |
At an IKEA factory stores in China, at least in Shanghai, they serve cheap snack food, what you might find at Costco (beans and weenies).
The Chinese come to IKEA just to grab cheap eats. The stores in China allow kids to climb on their furniture. |
The Costcos in Korea allow the kids to pile high onions to the sky. Gotta love strange cultural differences. |
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PRagic
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
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| Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2014 9:35 pm Post subject: |
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The best deals on furniture we've found over the years have been at the 2001 Outlet. Think the selection has narrowed, though, and prices have risen. Still, the stuff we got when we got married 17 years ago is still going strong.
Casamia MIGHT be Ok IF you got it at their outlet. WAY overpriced at their regular stores.
Department stores are a rip off and most 'furniture streets' sell crap.
Best hope is to luck out on Craigslist. You might find a GI getting rid of decent stuff brought over from the US or Europe. |
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PRagic
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
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| Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2014 9:38 pm Post subject: |
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| Those here longer term might find some decent stuff at Costco from time to time. Not cheap, but compared to what you get at K stores, not too bad. |
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