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by Heather McLendon

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IKEA Opens Portland Store,
Student Benefit

IKEA has stores in 37 countries throughout Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia. Ingvar Kamprad opened the first store in 1943.
--Heather Peacock, photo

Oct. 25 marked the three-month anniversary of IKEA's grand opening, and business is still going strong as Portland proves to be a welcome, receptive home for the newest addition of the world's leading home furnishings retailer.

The Swedish-based store covers 280,000 square feet and sits less than a mile from the airport. Portland IKEA includes three model homes and 53 room settings, all furnished to the smallest detail, such as candles and color-coordinated coffee mugs.

IKEA's low prices appeal to students. Trisha Wesolowski, a senior at Warner Pacific College, has visited the Portland IKEA three times since its opening. She said the modern style and low prices keep drawing her back. "It's not expensive like Pottery Barn," she said.

Wesolowski said she has difficulty furnishing her on-campus apartment. For Wesolowski, IKEA provides a means of outfitting her living space without breaking her budget.

For less than $200, a student can furnish a dorm room with a three-drawer dresser ($79.99), bed frame ($49.99), computer desk ($24.99), CD rack ($2.99), magazine file ($3.99) and clothes organizer ($6.99).

In addition to inexpensive products, IKEA offers a wide variety of items and many unique styles. The store's Web site boasts that "the romantic at heart will find just as much as the minimalist" in regard to array of style.

The furniture captures the essence and quality of light and air, the characteristic that has set IKEA's style apart from its competitors. Designers draw upon nature for inspiration and fuse modernity with functionality.

"The furniture has a fun, contemporary style," Wesolowski said.

One major downside to IKEA, according to Wesolowski, is that the same products stay on the shelves for a long time. She contrasted this with Target, another store popular among college students, which changes its clearance shelves weekly.

The two-story Portland IKEA includes a 250-seat restaurant, which serves Swedish specialties. The store has a bistro and Swedish food market as well.

The Portland location also prides itself on its family-friendly atmosphere. IKEA designed a children's play area near the main entrance. Smaland is a free, supervised play area, complete with forest-themed games and picture books.

According to www.ikea.com, Ingvar Kamprad founded IKEA in Sweden in 1943. He named his shop after his initials and the first letters of Elmtaryd and Agunnaryd, the farm and village where Kamprad grew up. He hoped to provide reliable, inexpensive products to his customers without compromising good quality. His vision persevered during the early stages of his business, and more than 250 stores are now spread throughout the world.

IKEA opened the Portland store because of customer demand. Tony Barnwell, a customer service representative at IKEA, said the company wants to "mutualize space." The only other IKEA in the Pacific Northwest is located in Seattle.

"I've heard of people traveling over 300 miles to shop at IKEA. We're trying to cut that back," Mr. Barnwell said.

He said IKEA plans to open stores in New York, Ohio and Florida within the next few years.

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