If you don’t live in Ottawa, you might have missed the breaking news: we have a new Ikea store.
Not just any Ikea store, mind you, but the biggest in Canada (for now). 427,000 square feet.
There was quite a bit of real excitement in Ottawa about this new store, as well as some manufactured excitement (like the press release warnings that traffic on the Queensway would be slow due to opening day, but in actual fact, numbers for the store opening were not that high).
One smart PR move was to invite a group of local Ottawa media, including bloggers, for a sneak peek of the store. There were also blog sponsorships and giveaways, as well as giveaways to those waiting in line out front of the store. I was not a sponsored blogger, nor was I one of those waiting in line on opening day, so I couldn’t help but remain curious about this mega-store. Yesterday, I made the trek out there to check it out. I left with a few items that I love.
These two white frames were 50% off regular prices — perfect for the wildlife photography (that came with black mattes) that Stella picked out for her bedroom at Ottawa’s recent Originals artisan and craft show.
I also picked up two hall mats, with rubber backing, for the front entrance. I love how the colour blends in nicely and the material has a less “industrial” look that most others I’ve seen.
And an orchid for the house. I’ve been admiring my Mom’s for ages, but Hubby and I are terrible at keeping plants alive. I recently read that steam from the shower is a great environment for orchids though, so I have put it in our ensuite and I’m hoping for the best.
But despite being very happy with the actual products I brought home, I didn’t enjoy the shopping experience at all. It was like all the things that irked me about Ottawa’s smaller, original Ikea store were magnified to monstrous proportions. So much so, that I highly doubt I will ever go back again and will simply order online. (Stay tuned, I’ll likely do a rant for you on this tomorrow. Lucky you!)
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