The new Draper IKEA is designed to be overwhelming.
Overwhelming in size, at 310,000 square feet. Overwhelming in prices, at $1.50 for a stoneware bowl, $90 for a dining table and two chairs. Overwhelming in service, with 350 employees throughout the store.
When the store opens to the public on Wednesday, a map, pencil and tape measure will be provided at the entrance for each customer. The IKEA restaurant upstairs sells sparkling cider, smoked salmon and Swedish meatballs. The bistro downstairs sells cinnamon buns, hot dogs and frozen yogurt.
An employee-supervised children's play area called Smaland allows parents to "check in" their children and shop. The children can play in a ball pit, watch a movie and use a child-sized bathroom, small toilet included.
Sofas have 10-year warranties, and home furnishing consultants provide free design tips for customers. The store prides itself on selling items for "the many" people. They buy in bulk and use shipping methods to lower prices, such as vacuum sealing pillows and selling furniture that requires customer assembly.
"We are here to bring a better life to the many people and provide functional affordable home furnishings," said Paul Janzen, Draper store manager. "You don't need to have a high income to have a nice house."
Among those "functional and affordable" furnishings are extendable beds, which can grow with children. The store also provides energy-saving light bulbs and allows customers to take in used batteries that IKEA will recycle.
The store provides three "model homes." The homes include a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and storage in all different sizes — 592 square feet, 376 square feet and 236 square feet — to show customers what they can do with small spaces. There are also home, office, bedroom and kitchen settings.
"We think about who lives there (when designing the settings)," Janzen said. "It's like a character development in a novel."
Employees are also trained to understand the furniture and the customers. The sales people are not paid by commission and are trained to cater to individual customers and their shopping habits.
"You can shop how you want to shop," Janzen said. Sales employees will not approach customers if they don't want to be helped, but they will be friendly and happy if they do, he said.
Each employee spends two weeks training with another employee, always working with a buddy. IKEA provides employees with medical and dental benefits, as well as contributing to a 401(k). The benefits are provided for part-time and full-time employees. Employees also assemble the furniture seen in the displays and throughout the store.
Janzen said because employees assemble the furniture they understand the needs of customers better and understand the product.
The IKEA in Draper, located along I-15 at the Bangerter Highway exit, will be the 30th IKEA store in the U.S. It will open with a traditional Swedish log-sawing ceremony, remarks by Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and flag-raisings (U.S., Swedish and Utah). The store also will give away items from hot dogs and frozen yogurt to chairs, cushions and gift cards.
E-mail: csmith@desnews.com