The opening of the first store of the Swedish giant Ikea unleashed a euphoria in Chile this Wednesday, with thousands of anxious people crowded since dawn at the gates of a well-known shopping center in an upper-class neighborhood located in the north of the capital.
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Once the ribbon was cut, customers and onlookers, separated into two rows -those registered, who were a priority, and the rest-, advanced through a corridor made up of dozens of people dressed in yellow and blue, the corporate colors of the company, colored balloons and flags of both Chile and Sweden.
Those who managed to overcome the line, which went around the huge building, were also received by a music band, an entertainer who informed them of the offers and people who gave directions and handed out yellow bags with gifts.
“I knew Ikea from when I traveled to Germany and I was fascinated from there, and they said they were going to open here and here I am” explained Ainoa, a young pregnant woman, a fan of the brand, who took advantage of preferential entry to buy products for her baby and her home.
Eduardo, for his part, said he knew “Ikea’s version in other countries” and wanted to know “How is the Chilean”, so he did not care about the almost three hours he had to wait to access the store, which he defined as “a nice experience”.
“The truth is that they brought everything, I’ve seen it quickly, but I think they brought the entire line of products that they have in other countries. that quite surprised me“, said.
First store in South America
The store has an exhibition area of more than 15,300 square meters, which, as in other countries, includes a children’s area, a typical Swedish food restaurant and a market with Nordic foods.
It is the first of an extension plan in Santiago de Chile that includes the opening in 2023 of a second center in the municipality of Cerrillos, which will have 25,000 square meters and will have more than 260 points to pick up electronic purchases.
According to the promoters of the Ikea project in Chile, it is about “a very important milestone for the company” and the first step for a regional expansion that foresees opening similar stores in the near future in Colombia and Peru, with a mixture of the recognizable Swedish style and relevant aspects of local cultures.
To that end, the direction in Chile included the work of nine Latino artists and designers, including four Chileans: designers Trini Guzmán and Abel Cárcamo, architect Felipe Assadi, and ceramicist Catalina Zahri.
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Falabella announced that the agreement with Ikea contemplates the opening of at least nine stores in Chile, Colombia and Peru in a period of 10 years. The megaproject begins with the first Ikea stores in Chile. Then, it will be Colombia’s turn and finally it will make its long-awaited arrival in Peru.
The idea of the company is to develop Ikea taking advantage of the know-how, or way of operating the business, of the team of its Sodimac chain. The arrival plan of the Swedish furniture brand in South America has been delayed mainly by the pandemic.
With information from EFE