IKEA - It's HUGE!!

[playacaribe2]

While I hope...

They offer many products you can not get here or products that are very expensive via other retailers.

They offer an experience and level of service that has not been seen in the DR.

IKEA have a great location, as opposed to Carrefour. Many of the middle class will not go to because they don't want to be seen in Carrefour with all the "chopos" from the local barrio, that's how many think, despite what they might tell you.

Pricesmart is small here, but still does relatively well and is always busy.
It's not a game changer like IKEA.

IKEA succeeds and perhaps leads the way for other well known entrants to come into the D.R., I still remain skeptical that a one store franchise, of an albeit successful parent, will become the "game changer."

If you are old enough to recall, the same hype was said when McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Dunkin Donuts, Radio Shack, etc., entered the D.R.

Carrefour and Pricesmart were also touted the same way when they came in. While you may indicate that Carrefour has a bad location and Pricesmart is small, my experience is that they do offer products not found elsewhere and their other offerings are at very competitive prices. And, when they both opened, each was touted as offering better and higher levels of customer service than their local rivals. Sound familiar? So what happened?

Somewhere along the line their superior customer service dumbed down and there was a slight, (the operative word being slight) increase in customer service levels from the local competition.

If they are to succeed then, the key to success for IKEA will not be in its offerings so much, or even the price, as the local competition can just source those same type products and import them to compete. The key will be to get beyond the grand opening hype and maintain a world class level of customer service...something their retail predecessors have been so far unwilling or unable to maintain.


Respectfully,
Playacaribe2

 

[Robert]

Playacaribe2, the capital is seeing a surge in franchises right now.

Wendy's and Outback are back, Quiznos, Papa John's, Hooters are here and a few others are touted to be coming soon. This is on top of all the McDonalds, KFC's, Burger Kings, Pizza Huts, TGIF's, Domino's etc we already have.

The new Blue Mall on Churchill which is slated to be opening in March is packed with them. This wil be the new super high end mall for Santo Domingo.

The good news is, the Dominican guys that are adapting and raising their game are doing well. One example, Chef Pepper. Great service, pretty good prices, good food, always busy. This change has been driven by the new guys coming into the market.

The landscape is changing.... slowly. Dominicans in the capital are starting to get a feel for what 1st world service is all about.

On to IKEA, this is the difference...

Nobody has ever come into this country like IKEA.
They came big, had Presidential support, created lots of buzz and bring with them a level of customer service, support and product range that has never been seen in the DR.

Dominicans are eating this up and flooding to the place.
I have been there twice in 2 days and they are buying.
The checkouts are busy, product is moving.

Sure, it's early days and I have no doubt things will calm down for IKEA.
But they are here, people now have another choice, a choice that offers customer service and support, way beyond anyone else in the market. I have no doubt they will retain that level as they do around the rest of the world.

Plaza Lama has a problem. No idea how they will adapt.
Ilumel is now slashing prices. IKEA will hurt them.
Americana now knows its survival is being another "Home Dept".
La Sirena is already adapting, the stores are changing, the WalMart ownership is showing.
Jumbo, not sure how they will fair in all of this.

Lots of stuff has been happening for a while, but I feel IKEA is the tipping point.
All we need now is "Best Buy" and our lives will be complete

 

[Robert]

Would someone provide me detailed driving direction to this place. We live in POP. thanks Phil Oh, do they deliver?

They offer delivery all over the DR, but you have to buy it in the store in Santo Domingo.

You cannot miss IKEA. They have a massive tall sign outside and it's next door to Americana on JFK.

 

[ExtremeR]

Playacaribe2, the capital is seeing a surge in franchises right now.

Wendy's and Outback are back, Quiznos, Papa John's, Hooters are here and a few others are touted to be coming soon. This is on top of all the McDonalds, KFC's, Burger Kings, Pizza Huts, TGIF's, Domino's etc we already have.

The new Blue Mall on Churchill which is slated to be opening in March is packed with them. This wil be the new super high end mall for Santo Domingo.

The good news is, the Dominican guys that are adapting and raising their game are doing well. One example, Chef Pepper. Great service, pretty good prices, good food, always busy. This change has been driven by the new guys coming into the market.

The landscape is changing.... slowly. Dominicans in the capital are starting to get a feel for what 1st world service is all about.

On to IKEA, this is the difference...

Nobody has ever come into this country like IKEA.
They came big, had Presidential support, created lots of buzz and bring with them a level of customer service, support and product range that has never been seen in the DR.

Dominicans are eating this up and flooding to the place.
I have been there twice in 2 days and they are buying.
The checkouts are busy, product is moving.

Sure, it's early days and I have no doubt things will calm down for IKEA.
But they are here, people now have another choice, a choice that offers customer service and support, way beyond anyone else in the market. I have no doubt they will retain that level as they do around the rest of the world.

Plaza Lama has a problem. No idea how they will adapt.
Ilumel is now slashing prices. IKEA will hurt them.
Americana now knows its survival is being another "Home Dept".
La Sirena is already adapting, the stores are changing, the WalMart ownership is showing.
Jumbo, not sure how they will fair in all of this.

Lots of stuff has been happening for a while, but I feel IKEA is the tipping point.
All we need now is "Best Buy" and our lives will be complete

Pichardo, is that you??? LOL jk

I agree 100% with you, I believe Jumbo has invested a whole lot of Venezuelan dollars in the country and they will do what they can to maintain their market share or a part of it.

 

[Celt202]

Would someone provide me detailed driving direction to this place. We live in POP. thanks Phil Oh, do they deliver?

It's on JF Kennedy Avenue, which is the continuation of the Duarte Highway that you will be using to drive into the city from the north. IKEA is on the block located between the intersections with Lincoln and Lope de Vega Avenues, on the left side of the road as you come into the city.

Although I'm sure it is well signposted, someone who has driven there recently will be able to explain the current traffic arrangements for accessing it, because you will need to turn left at either Lincoln or Lope de Vega.

It's best to go straight east on JFK past Lincoln passing IKEA to your left, then make a U turn at Lope de Vega (the next intersection) to return westbound on JFK to enter the IKEA parking on your right

 

[Robert]

Oh NO!! Say it ain't SOOOOO!!!!!!!! I was hoping for Enya...

Did somebody say "Meatballs?" Really???

Yep. Plus they sell them in the small Swedish mini-mart downstairs in IKEA.

I brought some sweet mustard the other day, yummy!!!

 

[Chirimoya]

Got the catalogue, got the chocs, now I need some $$$ and a day trip to the capital!

 

[aarhus]

I hope the locals will be able to compete with these franchises. Not just Chef Peper which has kind of an American concept. At first I thought it was American. I hope some businesses with a more typical Dominican style can do well and grow too. Otherwise we will soon have to go to Miami to try something more original and different than Hooters, Buirger King, etc.....

 

[aarhus]

I also a supporter of free trade and free market economy. But is the DR really that? Not before the authorities treats everybody equally. I myself do go to the franchises. And I would also be happy with a Best Buy here. But if they start domininating to much then I think the DR will at the end suffer from it.

 

[AZB]

windguy, I am also a fan of Home depot and bestbuy. I want them here now.
Just gave someone money to get me delicious chocolates from Ikea. Yeah!!!!
AZB

 

[woofsback]

i never felt the need to pay high prices for simple pieces of wood that I had to put together...but i can see how it would be advantagous to the dr.

of course if i were going to use ikea designs i'd probably take a picture and get a local to build it for me...helps the economy...

 

[pedrochemical]

One thing to bear in mind with IKEA is that like everywhere in this world you get what you pay for.
For example a 1000US$ sofa will fare better than a 200US$ sofa of the same size.

Beware the plants and shrubs they sell. In my experience most struggle for survival once out of the store - and I used to be good with stuff that grows.

Anything with moving parts may fall to bits. This again depends on whether you pay 10US$ or 100US$.

It is difficult to mess up a waste basket or a bowl so these should be safe - no need to go for the expensive ones.

Again, designs are attractive but only expect decent quality if you pay for the good stuff.

Israeli candle wax does not burn evenly! Beware of ruining your mum's best sideboard with candle wax!

This is based on years of shopping at IKEA in the UK.
This seems farly obvious but people see the nice design and assume the quality will be good regardless of what the price is. This is not so.

This is an observation, not a complaint.
Maybe it is different here?

The meatballs are nice though.

 

[London_Calling]

Would agree with all pedrochemical's comments and likewise have years of experience of shopping in Ikea in the UK. You basically get what you pay for - if you pay ?10 for a veneered coffee table do not expect it to last more than a year. it will look nice though when you first get it.

As for the food - the same applies - in the UK the ?1.50 breakfast is to get people into the shop but it is basically inedible.

As said above stick to the simple stuff for the kitchen etc which is usually OK.

 

[Robert]

The food at IKEA in Santo Domingo from what I have sampled appears to be pretty good. The food area is busy and people are going there just for lunch.

It's not "Vesuvio" quality, but what do you expect when two people can eat for a 10th of the price

 

[Jon S.]

I'm glad they opened up down there. It's close to my old house, centrally located, probably has a huge selection and here's the kicker - CUSTOMER SERVICE! A phrase that most folks are not used to hearing in the DR. I was under the impression that the folks from Americana Departamentos were somehow involved, but then I remembered that Inter IKEA Systems B.V. is the owner of all Ikea franchises throughout the world.

I hope they steamroll over some businesses with their cashflow and consistent flow of new customers, on general principle alone. That would be a lesson to the local franchises on how to run a business. But my dream would be to see a Home Depot in DR, owned by the folks here in the States. That would be awesome!

 

[Jon S.]

Rob, did you get a jar of that lingonberry sauce? Good stuff to put on top of food!

 

[AZB]

Ikea is already out of some hot sale items (tables, chairs, sofas etc). They are selling like hot cakes fresh from the oven. The meatballs are already out of stock so you can't buy them for your fridge.
AZB

 

[bigbird]

......It's not "Vesuvio" quality, but what do you expect when two people can eat for a 10th of the price

I stopped in IKEA yesterday and had their famous meatballs. I didn't find the 50 pesos hot dog and coca cola until you are ready to leave the store.

It was nice to see the amount of jobs the store has created. Anyone have any figures on the number of new employees? Just curious, the ones who were lucky enough to get a job are people who "know" people in the right places?

I saw these two displays in IKEA and almost makes me wish I had small kids again.

 

[anng3]

Ikea is already out of some hot sale items (tables, chairs, sofas etc). They are selling like hot cakes fresh from the oven. The meatballs are already out of stock so you can't buy them for your fridge.
AZB

Hopefully they won't pick up the Dominican store habit of quickly running out of stock. Ran into that when we went to buy furniture which is why we don't have matching bar stools.

 

[playacaribe2]

I know that Walmart supposedly...

Playacaribe2, the capital is seeing a surge in franchises right now.


Plaza Lama has a problem. No idea how they will adapt.
Ilumel is now slashing prices. IKEA will hurt them.
Americana now knows its survival is being another "Home Dept".
La Sirena is already adapting, the stores are changing, the WalMart ownership is showing.
Jumbo, not sure how they will fair in all of this.

Lots of stuff has been happening for a while, but I feel IKEA is the tipping point.
All we need now is "Best Buy" and our lives will be complete

owning La Sirena has been mentioned before. There is no mention in the recent (April 2010) Annual Report of any ownership, of any stores...or even a controlling interest of any in the DR.

I went a little further and while having a different dicussion with a friend who is a financial analyst, I mentioned this situation.

The bottom line is after a well placed phone call...Walmart has no interest, at this time, in any retail stores in the DR and that any connection to the DR is limited to contracts with suppliers in the FTZ's.



Respectfully,
Playacaribe2