Ottawa’s IKEA store re-opened its doors Wednesday to a brand new facility and crowds of shoppers and browsers alike. Ottawa city police were on hand to direct the huge volume of traffic that showed up on opening day.
A little over a year in the making, it’s now the largest IKEA store in Canada.
“It’s been a lot of learning, it’s been a lot of challenges, all these deadlines—because of course we wanted to open on time. So wow what a ride, it’s been fantastic,” said store manager Isabel Auclair.
The new store is more energy-efficient and even provides “preferred green parking” for hybrid cars.
Customers can recycle light bulbs and batteries in the store, and energy and water consumption along with the amount of waste generated are monitored to minimize waste and be as environmentally friendly as possible.
But it’s the shopping that people come for, and the two floors offer a product line that has more than doubled.
Of course, there are still those unpronounceable names that are meaningful in Sweden—sofas are named after cities and lakes, lighting after musical instruments, and textiles have women’s names.
There are maps throughout the store to help shoppers navigate their way.
