New IKEA is big, really big

What’s big and Swedish and blue all over? Anita Ekberg at the South

Pole? Umm, no.

It’s IKEA, of course, which is here, which is open and which is a

knockout.

Do you know the story behind the little Swedish store that could?

Fascinating stuff, even the name. “IKEA” is Swedish for “some

assembly required.” No it isn’t. I made that up.

IKEA was founded in 1943 by a man named Ingvar Kamprad. He started

his business as a teenager, selling simple, everyday items to his

neighbors in the rural area of Sweden where he grew up. His family

home was called Elmtaryd, in a area called Agunnaryd. Now watch

closely: “Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd.” If you still don’t get

it, we’re going back to Anita Ekberg.

May 28 was the big day, and we cannot stress “big” enough. How big

is a 1500-space parking lot? Big. How big is a 300,000-square-foot

store? Big big.

How big was the turnout on opening day? Big big big.

By the end of the day, about 15,000 people had passed through the

doors of the newest IKEA of them all. That’s a lot of passing.

The opening ceremonies were a major league hubba-hubba big deal.

Twenty five couples renewed their vows, which is just like getting

married, except you say “I still do.” There was a traditional Swedish

log sawing -- the Swedish equivalent of a ribbon cutting except you

need really big scissors and you have to press really hard.

And just who was the first of those 15,000 patrons to stride

through the doors and say, “Wowski.” As reported in these very pages,

it was Dave Burnell, 32-year old resident of Costa Mesa.

Just how early do you have to get up to beat out 14,999 other

shoppers? Early. Dave secured his place in line, and in history, by

staking out the number-one at 5 a.m. ... Tuesday. The IKEA staff,

always accommodating, rolled a newly assembled bed out to the parking

lot to ease Burnell’s wait until the official snipping of the log.

“I’ve lived here 23 years,” said Burnell, “and thought, ‘How cool

would it be to be the first guy in line?’ I can always drive by and

say I was the first guy through that door.” I think saying that

whenever you drive by would be very cool, especially if there’s

someone else in the car.

Sixty years after it’s modest beginnings, IKEA is a very big dog

in the world of home furnishings, grossing about $11 billion a year worldwide. $11 billion a year is a lot of money. I’ve never made half

that much, even in my best year. How do they do it? All together now

... “volume.”

Actually, that is part of the answer. But a much more important

part is “value.” Doing your digs from stem to stern in IKEA may not

get you a spread in Architectural Digest, but it will get you quality

products for a great price. Giving people the most ka-bang for their

ka-buck is always a plus, but in this day and age, it’s a must.

The second part of the equation is pure unadulterated marketing

genius. I’m not sure who has more profilers, IKEA or the FBI. IKEA

has made a science of understanding their customers, knowing what

they need and what they want, down to the finest level of detail.

Every IKEA store is laid out just so -- from the “Billy” bookcases

to the beds to the berries. How many stores do you know that have a

full-on child-care center with a trained, certified staff? Sure, it’s

a great plus for customers with young kids, but answer me this: Does

knowing that the kids are safe, having fun and not screaming “Are we

done?” at you every 8 seconds make you more likely, or less likely,

to hand over the plastic? Thank you.

Lots of stores have snack bars, but IKEA has a bright,

squeaky-clean cafeteria whose Swedish meatballs and Swedish coffee

have become traditions with millions of IKEA-ites around the world.

Impulse buying? I’ll give you impulse buying. Once you sling that

trademark big yellow bag over your arm, anyone who can pass up the

bins of shrink-wrapped whatevers for $3.99 has nerves of steel.

And that’s another element in the IKEA formula. They don’t just

know their customers needs and wants. They breathe life into them.

IKEA Costa Mesa has six full-size “homes” where customers can see

exactly how everything from the foot-stools to the flatware fit

together in real-life. According to Don Collins, who is the Costa

Mesa store’s generalissimo, “It’s all about providing inspiration.”

Whatever it’s all about, it’s working. IKEA is booming in 33

countries, and counting, and any store that can keep customers in

both the United Arab Emirates and Israel happy has to be doing

something right. But don’t take my word for it (as if you ever

would). Go see for yourself.

Things should be settling down from the opening day rager, so

check it out. What a great start for Home Ranch, for IKEA, and for

Swedish meatballs. Skol! Which means “cheers!” except the “o” is

supposed to be an “a” with those two little circles over it, but I

can’t make those. I gotta go.

* PETER BUFFA is a former Costa Mesa mayor. His column runs

Sundays. He may be reached by e-mail at PtrB4@aol.com.