IKEA Charlotte boasts 49 rooms and 17 kitchens
Holy Akurum, Batman! That’s a lot of kitchens! According to the Triangle Business Journal,
Swedish home-furnishings giant Ikeais putting the final touches on its first North Carolina store, which is scheduled to open next month in Charlotte.
The 356,000-square-foot store will be one of the chain’s largest. It will feature three model homes and 49 room vignettes, including 17 kitchens. Shoppers will be able to buy more than 10,000 exclusively designed products — from furniture to art, tableware and even food.
I do wish IKEA would stop selling themselves as a full-service setup though:
Ikea now offers on-site designers to help shoppers create complete rooms, take measurements and recommend contractors to assemble the furniture. The store also can arrange home delivery.
Though IKEA has many supporting businesses that will help with design, ordering, delivery, assembly and installation, anyone who’s been there knows that IKEA itself is not about the service aspect. IKEA is all about the low prices. It’s about doing something for yourself. And that’s ok by me – that’s the deal I have with Ingvar. 
If you’re not confident about doing it yourself, seek help – North Carolina is home to Eco-Modernism (See post: IKEA Runs: Need your IKEA Fix? Hire a local delivery service), a few new startups, and Custom Assembly and Install out of Atlanta is contracted with IKEA as a Certified Installer.
You can get in line for the IKEA Charlotte Grand Opening starting at 9am on Monday, February 16th, 2009 in advance of the Wednesday, February 18th Grand Opening Event. And while we’re on the subject, PositiveFanatics.com is seeking Guest Bloggers to document the experience of the Charlotte IKEA Grand Opening. Need your 15 minutes in the sun? Contact us!
[Via Triangle Business Journal]
