Johanna Cederlöf: Ikea NZ Market Manager on New Zealand's first Ikea opening in December

There's only three months until New Zealand's first Ikea store opens its doors in Auckland's Sylvia Park.

The Swedish furniture giant's 34,000 square metre store will host seven-and-a-half thousand products.

It'll also see its restaurant open with foods like its famous Swedish meatballs. 

Ikea NZ Market Manager Johanna Cederlöf says they've already hired 200 people, with 320 more joining soon.

"Every week, it's going to be very busy - so approximately 30 to 80 people joining and onboarding themselves to what will be ahead of them."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talk sed B.
Follow this and our Wide Ranger podcast now on iHeartRadio.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Nineteen ninet two is the text number.

Speaker 3 (00:23):
Okay, get ready to make room in your house for meat,
bulls and billy bookcases. Ikea has revealed it's going to
open its doors in time for Christmas on Thursday, the
fourth of December. Johannah Sudeleff is IKEA's market manager. Hi Johannah, Hello,
Hi mate.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
Just before Christmas. It's going to be mental, isn't it.

Speaker 4 (00:42):
It's going to be really cool. I can't wait. It's
super exciting. Have been super excited to announce the date.
Three months to go and then fourth of December we're
opening our doors at si Agia Sylvia Park as well
as the online shop for all kivs around the country.

Speaker 3 (00:58):
I mean, look, it feels I want to come as
soon as possible, but the thought of having to battle
that traffic and the crowd fills me with trepidation. So
when do you reckon it's the best time to come?

Speaker 1 (01:06):
Is it?

Speaker 2 (01:06):
Kind of after Christmas?

Speaker 3 (01:08):
When when things have calmed down for those of us
who want to avoid the crowd.

Speaker 4 (01:13):
Oh, I'm sure you will find a slot already earlier,
so hopefully, hopefully you'll find a good moment during the
days for example, so we will we will be sure
that we don't open on the opening day exactly on
a morning traffic, but a little bit after that. But
of course if you want to wait for a couple

(01:34):
more days, then you can start shopping via online. We
can either deliver it to your home, or you can
pick it up from a couple pickup points that mainfreight
is providing around the country, or you can also click
and collect it from the garage of the store very
convenient directly to your car.

Speaker 3 (01:54):
Brilliant, Now have you got Is this going to be
a full like? Is everything going to be on offer
the full range?

Speaker 1 (02:01):
Yes?

Speaker 4 (02:01):
So in IKEA we have a mandatory range reaching a
bit over seven thousand, and we are bringing all that
in to New Zealand directly to take with you home
today from Iksylvia Park or conveniently as you wish to
get them delivered to your house.

Speaker 2 (02:17):
And have you got everything that you need to get going?

Speaker 3 (02:19):
Because I think the other day you had about oh
I don't even think it was twenty percent of the
staff that.

Speaker 4 (02:23):
You need no we're actually today already over two hundred
coworkers comments and the rest three hundred and twenty plus
will be soon joining us. Every week, it's going to
be very busy, so approximately thirty to eighty people joining
and onboarding themselves to what will be ahead of them.

Speaker 2 (02:45):
What's your tip? What is the item we have to
all have?

Speaker 4 (02:50):
Oh, that's a good question. There's plenty, of course, it's
plenty of plenty of course. But I personally I love
our packs wardrobe. It's so convenient, so stylish and can
be modified according to your own needs. But of course
there's multiple a different items. Like our textiles is super

(03:10):
durable and beautiful. So yeah, you just need to come
and see and you will notice it yourself. What will
be your favorite play?

Speaker 2 (03:18):
I google the Pax wardrobe. That's a fantastic tip.

Speaker 3 (03:21):
Actually great for Yeah, great, I can just see that
fitting in the house already.

Speaker 2 (03:25):
I'll have to come.

Speaker 3 (03:26):
Okay, now you guys had a bit of I mean
you'll be aware you hit the headlines a wee bit
with your consenting and stuff.

Speaker 2 (03:33):
Would you get frustrated by that process?

Speaker 4 (03:37):
We have been super happily helped with Auckland Console and
all the neighbors and our collaborative partners. We're super excited
that we now are on track on our opening and
can open the doors by end of December. This was
our aim that we can open before Christmas, and we

(03:58):
are way on the way. So that's of course very
good news, fantastic.

Speaker 1 (04:02):
Now.

Speaker 2 (04:03):
I don't know if you caught this.

Speaker 3 (04:04):
We discussed this on the show yesterday, but there is
a little bit of a controversy out of Sweden where
the Swedish authorities have put together a canon of the
one hundred things that everyone has to know about Sweden.
And you'll be aware ike has made that list.

Speaker 2 (04:17):
You know that.

Speaker 4 (04:19):
I haven't heard about that, to be honest.

Speaker 3 (04:21):
Yeah, Ika made the list, Pippy long Stocking made the list.
No about Peace Prize made the list, but they left
Abba off the list of one hundred greatest Swedish things?

Speaker 2 (04:29):
Is that as much I think that's a scandal. Do
you think that's a scandal.

Speaker 4 (04:33):
That's brilliant if we if we even made it on
the list, So that's that's of course. It just tells
how excited people are about Ikea around the world.

Speaker 3 (04:45):
Joanna, thank you very much. Joanna sidlerf is Ikes but
definitely not wasn't going to take the bait. I was
not going to take the bait and get involved in
a controversy around Abba anyway. Whatever I suppose, it's fair
enough people have got strong feelings on that one.

Speaker 1 (05:00):
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