Ikea and Costco in BA?

[we vs us]

Well, if your choice is between the poorly designed particle board crap that both falls apart nearly immediately and looks like crap and slightly better designed particle board crap that doesn't immediately fall apart and looks somewhat better, which are you going to pick? (Me, I'd rather have furniture not made out of plywood and particle board, at least when I can afford it)

You can have particle board covered by Real 'Murican fake wood veneer a la Wal Mart, or you can have particle board covered by the social democratic pastels of the Swedish flag. 

[DolfanBob]

Ok I am going to show my ignorance here. What the hell is IKEA ? and more importantly. Why do I want one ?
Even in my advancing age. I see no reason to travel 100 plus miles to shop at a "Bass Pro" But I hear they are shopping destinations and people plan trips around that.
I don't even go to the one we have here. But I must be missing something because they built two huge Hotels right next to it. And if you mention ours. People ask. Have you been to the one in Springfield ? Uh..no why would I ?
I never went to the Tanger Outlet Mall when it was open, and never saw a need to drive 50 plus miles to buy scratch and dent drills and other items for just under cost.
So somewhere I must have missed the bass boat on this lifestyle.

[Teatownclown]

DB, google it.

[TheArtist]

  I love Ikea.  We got some of these cabinets there for the Art Deco Museum.  They look very nice, were very easy to put together, and I challenge you to find anything else like them in that price range.  Quite the bargain. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10119206/?cid=en%3Epc%3Ego%3Eproducts_search 

[DolfanBob]

DB, google it.

I did. And people will drive from Arkansas to shop here if we get one ?

[rdj]

I did. And people will drive from Arkansas to shop here if we get one ?

Yes.  And Kansas, and Missouri and OKC.

[Conan71]

Their kitchen cabinet systems appear pretty well-engineered and furniture I've seen from there, while not easily mistaken for high end quality still isn't that bad.

[Jeff P]

You've got this turned around.  Tulsa has better demographics than OKC and typically gets the first instance of national chains entering the Oklahoma market. 

I was about to post the same thing.

We particularly tend to get more "upscale" chains first.  The recent opening of Anthropologie in Utica Square is a good example.  Of course, we also had Wild Oats/Whole Foods for years before they opened a store in OKC.

[joiei]

I did. And people will drive from Arkansas to shop here if we get one ?

Yes they will.  Before all the new stuff was built in NWA because of Walmart they all used to come over here to shop.  It was not uncommon to see a bunch of Arkansas plates in Utica Square on any day. 

[hello]

Ikea would amazing to get in the Tulsa area. One less reason to have to go to Dallas.

[Gaspar]

You've got this turned around.  Tulsa has better demographics than OKC and typically gets the first instance of national chains entering the Oklahoma market. 

I'll actually add a bit to that. . .

It's not better demographics, it's broader demographics.

The range between wealth and poverty is broad and there are very few economic gaps.  The racial make-up is representative of the entire united states if taken as a whole (percentages).  They population age is also well distributed.

Basically, we are one of the best places to do product placement and marketing studies because of our representation ($hitstorm from the Tulsa haters in 3...2...1).

In demographic studies, what you are looking for is a micro-population representative of your target market.  If your target market is the entire United States, Tulsa is an excellent study to represent that.

[Hoss]

I'll actually add a bit to that. . .

It's not better demographics, it's broader demographics.

The range between wealth and poverty is broad and there are very few economic gaps.  The racial make-up is representative of the entire united states if taken as a whole (percentages).  They population age is also well distributed.

Basically, we are one of the best places to do product placement and marketing studies because of our representation ($hitstorm from the Tulsa haters in 3...2...1).

In demographic studies, what you are looking for is a micro-population representative of your target market.  If your target market is the entire United States, Tulsa is an excellent study to represent that.

Example:  Dave & Buster's

[Gaspar]

Example:  Dave & Buster's

Well there were lots of Dave & Busters before Tulsa.  We were supposed to be a test for the "smaller version," and I think that would be a success if they hadn't plopped it down behind a strip center, off the highway, in the middle of "I don't want to go there" land.

[nathanm]

Well there were lots of Dave & Busters before Tulsa.  We were supposed to be a test for the "smaller version," and I think that would be a success if they hadn't plopped it down behind a strip center, off the highway, in the middle of "I don't want to go there" land.

It seems to do a pretty good business unless I just happen to only go there when they're busy. Granted, I do only go when there's some way I can get free/cheap gameplay. Their sliders are pretty tasty, though.

[Hoss]

Well there were lots of Dave & Busters before Tulsa.  We were supposed to be a test for the "smaller version," and I think that would be a success if they hadn't plopped it down behind a strip center, off the highway, in the middle of "I don't want to go there" land.

But my point was D&B was here before OKC.