Ikea

Hi

I finally got around to checking the new Bolingbrook Ikea. Man, that place is CRAZY! Since this is opening weekend, the place was insanely packed. They had a parking security team set up, a number of Bolingbrook Police, an ambulance on stand-by right in front of the store, and a trolley system.

Sounds serious? Well, it definitely was, man! Check out these numbers:

1. 2 people camped out in front of the Ikea for about two weeks. Why? 1st customer received a $3000 gift card. 2nd a $2000 gift card and third a $1000 gift card. The first place person was a guy from Atlanta who just finished up school and will be starting grad school at Wheaton College. The second place person was a Bolingbrook local who is trying to get a fresh start on living on her own. $2000 gift card at Ikea would certainly help that! And the first place guy has nothing to worry about either!

2. Then, the first 100 customers received a free chair ($99 value). My mom wanted to be one of the first (especially considering that we live 5 minutes away from it), but it didn't happen because she didn't have her car that day. But, it did not matter anyway as I read that at 1am on opening day (28-Sep-2005), there were already 70 people waiting outside!! Jeez!!

3. The first 45 minutes of the store opening allowed for 2500 customers to come in and receive a 45 minute long applause and cheering by the 150 new Ikea employees. In-fricken-tense, huh?

4. An expected...get this...30000 customers were anticipated on opening day. And 100,000 for the first five days. Based on the traffic I experienced there, I am NOT surprised at all.

The store is huge. I felt like I accomplished something when I (along with my mother) walked throughout the store. The store is only 2 levels (I think the Schaumburg one has multiple levels), but do not assume that it's any smaller. It's HUGE!

Within the Ikea "subdivision," there is also a new Bed, Bath, & Beyond store opening soon. There is a small strip mall adjacent to it and may be one or two more stores opening there. But that's not it...

Less than a 1/2 block down Boughton, there is construction (right now in the initial landscaping phase) being done for more stores/a new mall. I believe it will be that location where the new Marshall Fields (I'm NOT calling it Macy's, just like I still refer to US Cellular as Comiskey) will go up along with many other stores. I think that Bass Pro Fishing store or whatever is also gonna open there.

All this stuff happening in Bolingbrook and you're probably wondering, as I do on occassion, why we're moving to Plainfield? Despite Plainfield going crazy in development (being called "The Next Naperville"), it's no Bolingbrook. But, inshaAllah, it'll be home. Oh, and we live right on the Plainfield-Bolingbrook border, so we're not far from all this! :)

Take care.