Anders Alm, of Ikea, and president Leonel Fernandez head the groundbreaking.
SANTO DOMINGO. - Dominican Republic’s trade opening with the United States and the European Union has brought the second largest international chain of department stores to the country.
In addition to Carrefour, Dominican shoppers will soon have an Ikea store located in the city’s central area, to compete with local establishments.
The news comes one week after the chain Americana Departamentos began construction of a large shopping center called Galeria 360, at a cost of US$70 million, right next to its current store at John F. Kennedy avenue.
The Sweden-based Ikea yesterday began construction of its department store on a lot of 80,000 square meters also located next to Americana, at an estimated cost of US$65 million. It's expected to open by yearend 2009.
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
Carrefour is much larger than Ikea with 500,000 employees worldwide and has been here four years...Welcome Ikea nice to have you aboard ....Now bring on Walmart and Home depot
Written by: NYCDR, 30 Apr 2008 10:32 AM
From: United States
has anyone shopped at IKEA?
I have tried but its too much junk to even bother!
Written by: Edward, 30 Apr 2008 11:00 AM
From: United States, Faux News: Unfair Imbalance
Junk? I love IKEA!
Written by: NYCDR, 30 Apr 2008 11:06 AM
From: United States
okay, dude to each its own. You cannot compare the pine and mohagony works that dominican artisans make there with the cheap pine or oak IKEA made!
sorry, but I dont like the idea of breakable furniture!
From: United States
Ikea has a much larger selection than most dominican stores that offer mostly mahogony. Though it may be of better quality, it's good for people to have more of a variety in the material of their furniture...especially if it's at a good price. I think they have great things and middle class ppl and young couples especially will love the store.
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
you are homesick NYCDR...Ikea is a welcome addition and will make retail furniture more competitive and Ikea makes good contemporary inexpensive stuff not everybody likes that brown lumpy dark stuff and decent Rattan is imported and very expensive....Edward you got it right Ikea is sold all over the world and will be a welcome addition
Written by: Duane, 30 Apr 2008 11:40 AM
From: United Kingdom
As long as you don't need to actually use the furniture IKEA is fine.
Its made from the woods shavings left over from making real furniture.
Be selective.
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
duane maybe you can afford a decorator maybe you are a decorator or a florist ....but not everyone has your taste or pocketbook....Ikea will bring the prices down,that is all I care about....there is alot more bad furniture here than UK
Written by: p12kitty, 30 Apr 2008 12:33 PM
From: United States, Secacus NJ
bring it on baby i loooooove ikea is cheaper quality than hand made but for us staring out is perfect for the price if you take care of it ... it will last a few years not forever but who wants the same damn old furniture forever like our parents.... it was very expensive and now very outdated...lol
From: United States
If it's wood shaving, then that is good for the environment and good for DR.
From: Dominican Republic
Willkommen zur Dominikanischen Republik Ikea!
From: Dominican Republic
Unsere Gebete sind beantwortet worden!
From: United States
NICE ! I love IKEA, it is much cheaper than anything else around.
Written by: NYCDR, 30 Apr 2008 2:21 PM
From: United States
gouletcolonial, I guess you are right! I may be homesick.
I guess you guys prefer cheap furniture.
I on the other hand am not a big fan of cheap wooden stuff that may fall apart in the near future.
My respects to you all.
And by the way not all the mahogony furniture is in dark dyes. gosh.
I am a fan of well made furniture. That my friend IKEA is not!!! but hey more power to you. I guess it will create jobs.
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
Cheap is such an ugly word I prefer budget oriented or consumer friendly or affordable or inexpensive also frugal and thrifty but not cheap it bestows a cheesiness on the product that is ill deserved
Written by: NYCDR, 30 Apr 2008 3:45 PM
From: United States
Gouletcolonial, okay, okay frugal, dutch, thrifty!!
Sorry, didnt mean to hurt your feelings...
:*(
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
I did not like dutch
Written by: NYCDR, 30 Apr 2008 3:53 PM
From: United States
okay okay. A penny saved is a penny earned!!! how's that!
:)
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
still not connecting
Written by: NYCDR, 30 Apr 2008 4:07 PM
From: United States
you are funny!!!
:)
Written by: NYCDR, 30 Apr 2008 4:07 PM
From: United States
:)
Written by: Escott, 30 Apr 2008 4:32 PM
From: Dominican Republic, Cabrera and Sosua a few days a month
Dominican Aritsans? Have you ever sat in a chair made by a dominican? Instead of a pitch backwards you sit with your head in your lap just about. Total crap no matter what material is used!
Ikea makes comfortable and functional furniture and NOT the UGLY MAHOGANY JUNK Dominicans make.
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
Escott make nice
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
Centennario mahogany is a treasure and practically all the new mahogany is imported ,it has been against the law for at least 60 years to cut one without a special permission
Written by: Escott, 30 Apr 2008 4:39 PM
From: Dominican Republic, Cabrera and Sosua a few days a month
Dominican Aritsans? I can't say "Dominican Artisan" just as I cant say "Honest Dominican Polititian or Police" Have you ever sat in a chair made by a dominican? What a laugh, Instead of it having a pitch backwards you sit forward just about with your head in your lap. Total crap no matter what material is used! Total Dominican!
Ikea makes comfortable and functional furniture and NOT the UGLY MAHOGANY JUNK Dominicans make. Yes I would compare OAK to Mahogany and select it first everytime.
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
Dominican mahogany was very famous at one time for boats ......and it is said the Spanish Armada was made from Dominican mahogany
Written by: indhi05, 30 Apr 2008 4:53 PM
From: United States
I love to buy in Ikea, almost my entire house decoration is from Ikea..The coffee and the sweedish meatball are delicious..Great news..arriba La Republica Dominicana!
Written by: NYCDR, 30 Apr 2008 5:02 PM
From: United States
Escott, 30 Apr 2008 4:32 PM
I am so sorry for your experience. But the best doors with great details, the best chairs, the best cabinetry the best craftmanship I have seen its in DR. dude where are you buying your stuff. oops, Ikea! :)
Written by: NYCDR, 30 Apr 2008 5:04 PM
From: United States
gouletcolonial y escott estan seguros de que han vivido y estado en la republica dominicana????
Written by: NYCDR, 30 Apr 2008 5:04 PM
From: United States
I had the opportunity to meet great detallistas de madera. Tienen talleres y estudiantes los cuales estan aprendiendo esto espero en Dios que no se pierda.
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
I have some centennario carvings ......if you like traditional west indian furniture [antiilean] see Michael Connors book Caribbean elegance
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
the carving I have are by Miguel Estella his work can be seen in the admirals club at San Juan and Santo Domingo his are considered the only ones worth collecting
Written by: santanar, 30 Apr 2008 5:51 PM
From: Dominican Republic, Ramon Santana, La Romana
Quite sure that this company in no way is trying to explore the dominican market, they are probably trying to take advantage of CAFTA to reach the east coast market of the united states.
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
you could be correct it is going to be a large facility
Written by: santanar, 30 Apr 2008 6:03 PM
From: Dominican Republic, Ramon Santana, La Romana
How large is it?
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
well for trans shipment they would not bring it to the city...but I believe it is at least 70,000 square ft
Written by: santanar, 30 Apr 2008 6:29 PM
From: Dominican Republic, Ramon Santana, La Romana
That should be enough to employ several hundred, as many economist have suggest, companies will start to filter in little by little and IKEA is no exception.
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
A government news release says the discount furniture retailer will invest $65 million in the outlet that is expected to open in early 2009.....maybe it is even larger than 70 thousand feet 65 million dollars is a lot of store
Written by: Duane, 1 May 2008 4:25 AM
From: United Kingdom
Dominican mahogany used to make the Spanish Armada? Probably not the best argument for quality. Do you know what happened to the Armada? The first was destroyed in Cadiz on home turf, by Drake. Ten years later after rebuilding their fleet they came for the away game and lost that too. Even with 'God' on their side.
From the vast Armada, they say only six men got back to Spain.
But then again, imagine if IKEA had made the Armada.
Written by: Duane, 1 May 2008 4:35 AM
From: United Kingdom
Wow, reading this is shocking. How can a Dominican claim IKEA coffee is delicious?
I've been about a bit, but I have to say Dominican Coffee is the best I've ever tasted. IKEA coffee is made the same way as the furniture, its the shavings left over from producing the real thing! As for those meatballs, words cannot describe, but your rear end will do an adequate job, the day after.
IKEA will most likely do well in the DR - as it relies on being new. It takes the general population around 15 - 20 years to realise they are being had over. Its all smoke and mirrors.
Written by: Duane, 1 May 2008 4:41 AM
From: United Kingdom
Its quite true what somebody said about Dominican chairs - awful! I remember sitting across from the man that would soon become my father-in-law. Trying to discuss the matter of wanting to marry his Daughter. All the time, I felt I was leaning closer and closer to him, fighting to try and keep myself upright. I thought to myself any minute now my future wife and her mother are going to walk into the room and going to find me with my head in her fathers lap. Not good.
They look like chairs but don't feel like chairs.
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
Duane it is unfortunate that your future father in law did not recognize your social climbing desire to marry his daughter and acquire the coveted Dominican cedula and residency I am sure that he sometimes wakes up screaming thinking he has allowed someone of your ilk and stripe into the family,,,,,He regrets the day you wandered off the grounds of that all inclusive hotel and found his lovely offspring ah yes you drank so many of those rum punches you needed the coffee to sober yourself .....then you discovered you had acquired a spouse and a shot at the coveted cedula and residency......voila jackpot
Written by: Duane, 1 May 2008 6:17 AM
From: United Kingdom
It must have been hard writing so many words and yet at the same time come nowhere near the truth. You could always try again.
From: Cuba, it is a secret the censors are looking for me
"if you dont succeed at first try ,try again."..........they invented that expression for losers so they would not commit suicide
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I have tried but its too much junk to even bother!
sorry, but I dont like the idea of breakable furniture!
Its made from the woods shavings left over from making real furniture.
Be selective.
I guess you guys prefer cheap furniture.
I on the other hand am not a big fan of cheap wooden stuff that may fall apart in the near future.
My respects to you all.
And by the way not all the mahogony furniture is in dark dyes. gosh.
I am a fan of well made furniture. That my friend IKEA is not!!! but hey more power to you. I guess it will create jobs.
Sorry, didnt mean to hurt your feelings...
:*(
:)
:)
Ikea makes comfortable and functional furniture and NOT the UGLY MAHOGANY JUNK Dominicans make.
Ikea makes comfortable and functional furniture and NOT the UGLY MAHOGANY JUNK Dominicans make. Yes I would compare OAK to Mahogany and select it first everytime.
I am so sorry for your experience. But the best doors with great details, the best chairs, the best cabinetry the best craftmanship I have seen its in DR. dude where are you buying your stuff. oops, Ikea! :)
From the vast Armada, they say only six men got back to Spain.
But then again, imagine if IKEA had made the Armada.
I've been about a bit, but I have to say Dominican Coffee is the best I've ever tasted. IKEA coffee is made the same way as the furniture, its the shavings left over from producing the real thing! As for those meatballs, words cannot describe, but your rear end will do an adequate job, the day after.
IKEA will most likely do well in the DR - as it relies on being new. It takes the general population around 15 - 20 years to realise they are being had over. Its all smoke and mirrors.
They look like chairs but don't feel like chairs.