Ikea open, I wonder if any still care?
A store opening, an old memory...
One of the first industry conferences I ever attended was partly devoted to worrying about Ikea.
Planhorse?
From 1986-1988 my first job, after graduating with a Diploma in Design (Product), was helping the founder and then CEO of Planhorse re-design their existing drawing (as in printed sheets A4-A0) office filing products to simplify manufacturing.
It was a cool role involving product (re)design, graphics (brochure and advert art), and many other aspects of helping operate a small manufacturing outsourcing (components from local manufacturers), marketing, and sales business.
I vividly remember being at the wheel of their extremely tired Mazda van, probably over-laden with sheet steel components, ascending Auckland Harbour Bridge and it stuttering, slowing—with what turned out to be a fuel system fault—but recovering and it just making it over...
At some stage Planhorse sent me to a full day conference run by a, loosely associated, local furniture manufacturing industry organisation.
The New Zealand Furniture Manufacturers' Federation vs Ikea?
Planhorse is still in business, but it seems 'The New Zealand Furniture Manufacturers' Federation' is now just a record in the National Library. Even its successor seems to be dormant?
From memory most attendees were owners and/or managers of mass manufacturing (by NZ standards) domestic furniture, supplying mostly reproduction 'colonial' furniture to NZ retail brands who've mostly also long since disappeared. There were also a few more progressive flat-pack furniture exporters and kitset kitchen type operations, who had just started to adopt the latest 'CNC' computer manufacturing technology.
I don't remember what prompted it—maybe a rumour from Australia where Ikea had already been in business for a decade—but there was a lengthy discussion on what impact Ikea's imminent arrival might have.
Given the average age in that room (I remember lots of bald heads and grey hair, but I was only 20) I suspect few, if any, of them will be concerned...
Nearly 40 years later, Ikea arrived
I saw Ikea's first NZ store while walking Mutukaraoa, Hamlins Hill a few months ago. They predicted 'traffic armageddon' for the December 4th opening but seems it wasn't as bad as predicted. Given I have no need for furniture, nor a great fan of meatballs, I'm unlikely to get much closer for a long time.
Melanie Earley
RNZ News
