The IKEA Shuttle
“Half an hour before the scheduled departure, more than 20 people
have already formed a line at Gate 5. In the otherwise deserted lower
level of the Port Authority Bus Terminal, this line is noticeable
because of its length. Also, none of the people waiting in line have
suitcases.
Their destination? The IKEA store in Elizabeth, N.J., a half-hour ride away. IKEA
runs free shuttles on weekends between Port Authority and the store to
draw New York City residents, who typically do not have cars. Of the 23
IKEAs currently operating in the country, the Elizabeth, N.J.,
store is the only one to offer a shuttle of this sort, which runs every
30 minutes (or more often depending on demand) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Although the IKEA Web site advertises the shuttle as being a special promotion, Maria Tocci, community relations manager for the Elizabeth, N.J., IKEA, says there are no plans to discontinue the shuttle anytime soon.
Tocci estimates that upwards of 5,000 people, or 20 to 30 percent of
the customers that the store sees each weekend, come by way of the free
shuttle. Response to the service has been so positive that IKEA tries to add shuttles on holidays that fall on a Monday or Friday, Tocci says.
The shuttle can be particularly useful for young people in New York.
They might not have much disposable income, but they still want
something stylish for their money, especially if they have to furnish
an apartment. Alexandria Cast, 23, an undergraduate at City College who
lives in Washington Heights, says she shops at IKEA maybe three times a year. “I have a definite idea what I want,” she says, having studied the IKEA catalog beforehand. She shares an apartment, so she says she is in need of mostly “student stuff,” like a desk for her room…”
“The IKEA Shuttle”
ML Liu
NYU Livewire
Image: Antydiluvian @ FLICKR.
© All rights reserved.
