BUSINESS

Buzz builds as grand opening of Oak Creek Ikea store nears

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Showrooms are designed to have a homelike setting.

The final countdown is on for Wisconsin’s first Ikea.

A week from now, May 16, the Swedish-themed, assemble-it-yourself home furnishings retailer will open the doors of its 293,000-square-foot store in Oak Creek to the public for the first time.

On Wednesday, store leaders invited the news media inside to get glimpses — the store is so big it can only be taken in with glimpses — of what seven days from now will become a major shopping destination for consumers throughout the region.

The store is expected to draw about 1 million visits annually.

The buzz has been getting louder as Ikea has begun to advertise in the Milwaukee-area market and the finishing touches have been put on the interior and exterior of the big blue-and-yellow building along West Drexel Avenue just off of I-94.

“We think it’s going to be a wildly successful addition to the city,” said Oak Creek Mayor Dan Bukiewicz.

Store manager Samantha Gravina is excited about it, too.

"I think we're receiving the last of our trucks right now, topping off our inventory, and I just saw a big truckload of meatballs come in," she said Wednesday morning. "So we're ready to go."

Meatballs and arrows on the floor

If you’re a fan of Ikea, chances are you’ve traveled to the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, Ill., to visit the Ikea store there, which is one of the company’s largest.

But if you’re an Ikea first-timer, here's a look at some things you can expect to find when you go inside.

Because of the enormity of Ikea, you might need a map of the store to navigate. You can grab one when you come in. The store also provides tape measures (because you want to make sure what you buy fits the space) and a pad of paper and a pencil for note-taking as you shop.

Gravina said arrows on the floor will guide you through the store — entrance to checkout — if you follow them.

"If you are just looking to enjoy the entire store, follow those arrows on the floor and we'll get you through the whole place," she said.

Essentially, an Ikea store is made up of five main parts:

Showroom. The showroom features furniture, home decor and design ideas. A lot of Ikea furniture and home goods are on display in individual room settings. There are 50 of them. Ikea did its homework about Wisconsin and learned that many homeowners here finish their basements, which isn’t as common in other parts of the U.S. So among the showroom displays is a room that shows how Ikea furnishings can use space — the awkward spot under the staircase, for instance — and make the most of a fixed-up basement.

Marketplace. Name a home goods or decor item, and it probably can be found here. From dishcloths and lamps to refrigerators and kitchen utensils, Ikea's Marketplace tempts consumers to buy something that they’re just certain they’ll need or use — someday, if not immediately. In all, the Oak Creek Ikea will stock about 10,000 products.

While you can grab a yellow tote bag when you come, if you plan to do some more-serious shopping, you'll want to switch to a cart at the Marketplace. Ikea will have plenty of carts available right there.

Self-serve warehouse. The store has shopping carts, but for bigger items you see in the showroom room settings, you go to the warehouse to pick up what you want to buy. Many of Ikea’s furniture products need assembling, but that means that they are packed flat in boxes that are relatively easy to haul home. Flatbed carts are located there.

Checkout area. This is where you pay, but not until you look around to make sure you have everything you want. And everything you want might include a supply of Ikea’s famous Swedish meatballs that can be warmed up at home.

The “As Is” area, which includes items such as former displays and less-than-perfect goods, is near the checkout area.

Of the As Is area, Gravina said: "Any kind of dent, bruised or things that we found throughout the process of building the store will be available for purchase, assembled and at a discounted price."

Restaurants. The Oak Creek Ikea includes a 300-seat restaurant, which will serve up a variety of fare but is best known for Swedish specialties such as salmon plates, meatballs with lingonberries, pastries and American dishes.

The main restaurant opens 30 minutes before the store, and serves a $2 breakfast consisting of eggs, chicken sausage, breakfast potatoes, Swedish pancakes and strawberry jam. The Oak Creek Ikea also has an "exit bistro" where customers can pick up some eats for the ride home, and a Swedish Food Market.

Philadelphia-based Ikea chef Peter Ho, who is in town to help set up the Ikea Oak Creek restaurant and kitchen, took a moment Wednesday morning to explain why visitors should try the food, especially the meatballs.

"It’s very Scandinavian, very Swedish in culture," Ho said. "The Swedish meatballs are, of course, our best-selling plate. They're served with lingonberry jam, which gives it a contrast of a sweet and tart taste to the savory meatball."

On average, a customer spends two to three hours in an Ikea store, according to Latisha Bracy, public affairs manager for Ikea.

The Oak Creek store has about 300 employees.

Ikea also offers delivery and assembly services for customers who prefer to buy that way. Ikea will get the item, deliver it to your home and even put it together for you if you'd prefer to avoid the possible pitfalls of self-assembly. Delivery starts at $29 and is based on the distance from the Ikea Oak Creek store. The assembly cost is based on the price of the item purchased, Gravina said.

“Free design consultations are also offered by appointment,” Bracy said. “Additionally, there is an Ikea app, and customers can set the store to Ikea Oak Creek.”

For shoppers with children, Ikea offers a supervised play area called Smaland.

Planning for lots of traffic

Traffic volume is always high when a new Ikea opens — Oak Creek is the company’s 48th U.S. location — and Oak Creek and state officials have been working to make traveling to the store over the first couple of weeks as smooth as possible, Bukiewicz said.

“Oak Creek law enforcement, along with the county, state and Ikea’s private traffic management company, have been working nine to 12 months to develop a plan,” he said. “It started with an analysis of where they think in the first couple of weeks the majority of the traffic will come from.”

Most of the traffic is expected to come from the north on I-94, he said. There will be 40 illuminated signs directing drivers, and at least two dozen police officers will be on the scene. There will be dedicated turn lanes for Ikea, and for a nearby school. There will be a shuttle lot available if the 1,000-plus-space Ikea parking lot fills up.

Bracy said if customers who took a shuttle from a remote parking lot purchase large items, they will be allowed to enter the store parking lot to pick them up.

“I think it can be manageable as long as people remain a little patient — a little calm —follow the rules and follow the signage,” Bukiewicz said. “I think it all will work in everybody’s best interest if everybody just takes a deep breath and realizes you’ll all get in there eventually.”