... and the blogosphere went wild...
... abuzz with the news that, yes, Ikea is finally coming to Winnipeg!
The news has set tongues wagging and hearts aflutter in the blogosphere and mainstream media outlets, gushing that THE preeminent House of Scandinavian Style is coming to our cold little burg.
But not here at C & S. I could care less.
Seriously.
It's just a fucking store, not a miracle civic cure-all, not the magic bullet that'll solve all the city's woes. It ain't gonna bring in tourists - maybe a few shoppers from Gretna, Winkler, and The Pas (no offense intended) - and it won't affect life in the North End.
What can Ikea offer us apart from their colourful, cheaply made wares? A slight increase in tax revenue? Blog-fodder? A few dozen more jobs created? Free meatballs? Another retail development in the burbs? Polo Park-like traffic snarls?
Spare me.
However, in some people's eyes, having an international retailer such as Ikea* set up shop here represents a step toward being a "real" city. That strikes me as being particularily shallow, but I suppose anything that lessens our collective (civic) self-loathing can only be a good thing.
What do the rest of you think?
*Fine print: For the record, I'd have had this same reaction if it were an Apple Store or similar "big city" retailer coming to Winnipeg - my feelings in this regard aren't limited to Ikea.
The news has set tongues wagging and hearts aflutter in the blogosphere and mainstream media outlets, gushing that THE preeminent House of Scandinavian Style is coming to our cold little burg.
But not here at C & S. I could care less.
Seriously.
It's just a fucking store, not a miracle civic cure-all, not the magic bullet that'll solve all the city's woes. It ain't gonna bring in tourists - maybe a few shoppers from Gretna, Winkler, and The Pas (no offense intended) - and it won't affect life in the North End.
What can Ikea offer us apart from their colourful, cheaply made wares? A slight increase in tax revenue? Blog-fodder? A few dozen more jobs created? Free meatballs? Another retail development in the burbs? Polo Park-like traffic snarls?
Spare me.
However, in some people's eyes, having an international retailer such as Ikea* set up shop here represents a step toward being a "real" city. That strikes me as being particularily shallow, but I suppose anything that lessens our collective (civic) self-loathing can only be a good thing.
What do the rest of you think?
*Fine print: For the record, I'd have had this same reaction if it were an Apple Store or similar "big city" retailer coming to Winnipeg - my feelings in this regard aren't limited to Ikea.
Not only is it just a store, it's a crappy store with crappy stuff.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Brother Jim!
ReplyDeleteAs I always say, "When I want faux-Scandinavian goods of dubious quality, I'll shop at Jysk!"
You forgot to mention the $1 breakfasts. Mmmmmm.
ReplyDeleteWith the largest store in Canada, they had better draw in more than a few out of towners.
Largest store in terms of the square footage of their building?
ReplyDeleteComing from a background in warehousing, logistics, and distribution, my instincts tell me they (Ikea) may be eyeing Winnipeg as a central warehouse/distribution center as well - similar to what Princess Auto does at their 475 Panet Road building.
I don't give a flying crap about Ikea either. I think it's another last ditch effort by this city in all its self-consciousness to try to "put us on the map".
ReplyDeleteBlah.
I always considered Jysk to be the Ukrainian Ikea ! I have some Ikea stuff but certainly think that the whole "we got IKEA" media pump is overblown.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, Mr. C!
ReplyDeleteI had (past tense) a few Ikea pieces I received as housewarming gifts years ago. They were nice, but rather poorly designed and of poor quality...
That said, I'm in the market for a new liquor cabinet, as my current one is too small to contain its ever-growing population... might be hitting Jysk in the near future!