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Given Ikea's penchant for cheap land, I too think that the Triangle's eventual store will be between Raleigh and Benson on I-40. Who knows?
Ikea will clearly want to capture Fayetteville, Wilmington and all of Eastern NC with their second NC store location. I'd be very surprised if Ikea located near the center the Triangle or on its western edge.
The challenge with that location is, Fayetteville, Wilmington and Eastern NC are not classic IKEA markets. Young families/professionals, college students and folks in transition are. More urban areas would tend to attract them.
My assumption of the 40/85 corridor is due to the much higher vehicular traffic, proximity to the Triad, and close to UNC, NC State and Duke. Essentially, pick up the Triangle plus all the through traffic on I-85, which is a significant N/S corridor.
I just can't imagine the ENC market being attractive to IKEA. Not that I don't think it will be some years before they come here, mind you.
The challenge with that location is, Fayetteville, Wilmington and Eastern NC are not classic IKEA markets. I just can't imagine the ENC market being attractive to IKEA. Not that I don't think it will be some years before they come here, mind you.
I agree. Someone else mentioned a location near Benson in order to cater to "Coastal" folks. It wouldn't make any sense for Ikea to open a location there. Folks from eastern NC already make regular shopping trips to Crabtree, etc. for shopping. A more central location would be ideal.
Hmm what about down by Smithfield for a location? Just tossing it out there but I doubt IKEA will be coming to this side of the state any time soon. I like IKEA. I'd shop there more if one was closer.
The challenge with that location is, Fayetteville, Wilmington and Eastern NC are not classic IKEA markets. Young families/professionals, college students and folks in transition are. More urban areas would tend to attract them.
But the market in Fayetteville/Ft Bragg is probably one of the places in the state with the highest amount of transition. Big numbers of military families are moving in and out of Fayetteville every year. Folks from Fayetteville already come up to Raleigh and Durham to shop, so I think on the south side of the Triangle (my suggestion was near Southpoint) would be ideal. Fayetteville is also home to two smaller universities which could figure into the market. UNC-W students in Wilmington would likely be interested in an IKEA, too.
Looking at the Forbes Migration Map (which is just fun) the figures they have for Cumberland County are 33,400 for inbound migration which is right up there compared to the Wake County number of 56,600. Forsyth Co (Winston-Salem) is only 16,800 inbound migration and Guilford is 23,600, for a combined total inbound migration number of 40,400. Add in Harnett County (10,800) to Cumberland Co's number and you've got 44,200, not counting Moore Co, Hoke Co and Lee Co which also see a lot of young military families moving in.
FWIW, New Hanover Co has an inbound migration number of 13,000. Onslow County (Camp LeJeune) has an inbound migration of 23,400.
My assumption of the 40/85 corridor is due to the much higher vehicular traffic, proximity to the Triad, and close to UNC, NC State and Duke. Essentially, pick up the Triangle plus all the through traffic on I-85, which is a significant N/S corridor.
Doesn't make any sense to stick one right between two current Ikea stores, which is what the I-85/I-40 corridor does. Moot point anyways, as it's not planned, and likely to never happen.
But if it were, Morrisville, near the old outlet mall, would be a major boost to renovating the shopping in that area.
But the market in Fayetteville/Ft Bragg is probably one of the places in the state with the highest amount of transition. Big numbers of military families are moving in and out of Fayetteville every year. Folks from Fayetteville already come up to Raleigh and Durham to shop, so I think on the south side of the Triangle (my suggestion was near Southpoint) would be ideal. Fayetteville is also home to two smaller universities which could figure into the market. UNC-W students in Wilmington would likely be interested in an IKEA, too.
And beach homeowners are always needing new furniture for their rental houses after a hurricane lol.
Population Density: The most basic requirement for a market is population. IKEA’s market research calls for a minimum of two million people within about 40-60 miles of a single media market. Statistical data from the US Census is used to determine whether a market is viable simply on the grounds of population density. Metropolitan Statistical Areas may be used as long as the population is in one media market.
Well we've got that one in the bag:
Quote:
The eight-county region, officially named the Raleigh–Durham–Chapel Hill CSA, comprises the Raleigh–Cary and Durham–Chapel Hill metropolitan areas and the Dunn Micropolitan Statistical Area. A 2012 Census Estimate put the population at 1,998,808.[1] The Raleigh–Durham television market includes a broader 23-county area which includes Fayetteville, and has a population of 2,726,000 persons.[2]
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