Dozens of consumers line up to visit new IKEA store in Carolina

Before 9:00 a.m., dozens of consumers were lining up for the opening of Ikea’s new full-service store in Carolina this Tuesday.

One of those people was Lucy Rodríguez, who is a resident of this municipality and was one of the first to stand in line to enter the establishment in search of a new frying pan “and other things that I need for the bathroom. Were wanted.”

“I have been a fan of Ikea since it came into existence and I always try to visit all the open locations, I consume a lot of products because they are very good and durable,” the entry in the Ikea store. The first customer to do so expressed with emotion. Carolina, which opened its doors this Tuesday, and where 75 to 85 people work directly.

El Nuevo Día toured the 50,000-square-foot space and spoke to several customers, who agreed that they don’t see the same variety of products at Bayamon’s headquarters.

Hadani Santiago del Valle, manager in charge of the Carolina store, explained that the difference in inventory is due to the selection of items in greatest demand by Puerto Ricans.

“Unlike our store in Escorial, it’s an experience Showroom Very big (exhibition). It is somewhat similar to Bayamon. It’s smaller, about half the size, but with items that almost everyone would want, (and that’s) available to carry.“, indicated Santiago del Valle.

However, the location of the new establishment is the main attraction for residents of the northeastern region of the country who find it difficult to get to Bayamon. Such is the case of Carmen Méndez de Jesús, 70, a resident of Rio Grande do Sul, who was pleased with the offer from Ikea in Carolina.

,I live in Rio Grande and I can get on Route 66 in about seven minutes. Of course, I would prefer to come here more than to Bayamon, it is more convenient,” Méndez de Jesus said, although he admitted that he ‘likes’ the store located in the Santa Rosa Mall.

Similarly, Gabriela Navarro Pabón, 24 years old and resident of Canovanas, was excited about the opening, as she was accustomed to the tour center that operated until last Monday in Plaza Escorial.

“I liked it very much, because I can come and get thingsInstead of ordering and looking for it later,” said Navarro Pabón, who was one of the first people to eat breakfast in the store’s cafeteria.

Like the brand’s headquarters store in Bayamon, the display of products in the new branch recreates the house’s volumes in a serpentine-shaped passage.

The new IKEA has a single level, four cash registers and a bistro area, where they offer breakfast, cookies, juices, chocolates, the chain’s famous meatballs and Swedish coffee, among other products.

The new establishment, located in the former Toys R’Us area, next to the Marshalls megastore, required investment $13 million.

“For Carolina, which is a city of sustained and sustained economic growth, (the new IKEA) represents the creation of 75 direct jobs, plus all the indirect jobs it creates. This is extremely important to us and we are grateful to the Ikea firm for considering Carolina to be their second full-service store,” he said. José Aponte Dalmau, mayor of the municipality.

Caridad Pierluisi, Director of the Governor’s Office, also attended the event.

The Swedish brand is also building a new distribution center in Bymon near the full-service store. It will have approximately 93,000 square feet of space and is expected to create approximately 80 direct jobs.

Meanwhile, according to Rafael Perez, IKEA Architect for the Virgin Islands and the Caribbeaninternational brand ikea Is considering the possibility of opening another store on the west side of the island.

According to Perez, The reception from Puerto Rican consumers has allowed the Swedish brand to continue growth in the Puerto Rican region over the past decade.

“In the western region (of Puerto Rico) that we’re going to try to expand now, we’re thinking about Mayaguez,, Perez told Business. He added, “Ten years later, we’re still moving forward.”

IKEA arrived in Puerto Rico in 2013 and established three delivery points in Bayamón, Carolina and Ponce. Currently, the company operates five establishments on the island.Full-service stores, somewhere between a distribution point and warehouses.

“We started with small stores, tested the Puerto Rico market and it worked so well that we decided to open a central store in Bayamón”At the Santa Rosa Mall, Perez highlighted.

In the Caribbean, IKEA has a presence in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Pérez said entering the markets of Costa Rica and Panama is being considered for next year.