Ikea in Nashville (Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga: neighborhoods, taxes, living)

[BirdieBelle]

I believe you, Aries. Just pointing out the chain's past stated policies about expansion:


The Nashville Ledger


Contractor: Don't expect a Nashville IKEA any time soon - Nashville Business Journal

IKEA speculation flares up again in Nashville - Nashville Business Journal

I guess it depends on whether you consider 2015 "soon."

The good news for IKEA fans in the US is that they recently announced that they are doubling their expansion, though China appears to be a big target.

IKEA to Accelerate Expansion - WSJ.com

[kmoore8]

Originally Posted by Wmsn4Life

Ok, I'm still trying to understand what I was wrong about.

Wmsn4Life
This area could support it eventually, when those 1 million people they're expecting move here, but it's not gonna happen anytime soon.

[ariesjow]

Originally Posted by kmoore8

Top 50 Cities in the U.S. by Population and Rank — Infoplease.com

Look where Nashville sits. How many cities above them don't have Ikea's? Indy and Columbus feed Cincy store.

This. IKEA is huge destination retail. The immediate zone pop is an important marker, but they think in terms of regional draws. I would take it even a step further and say that the KC announcement should be music to our ears. Why? A KC store essentially eliminates the likelihood of a St. Louis store immediately which would have an overlapping pull from the KC store. This leaves a huge void in the Mid-South between Cincy, ATL, Charlotte and KC that we would be more than happy to fill.

[septimus]

Originally Posted by CountryGirl2b=

I received an email recently from Modern Nash, who deliver IKEA stuff from Atlanta to Nashville and they made a reference to Nashville getting an IKEA. Thought it was interesting that THEY are thinking ahead!

(I would like an H&M, too, please)

There is a huge H&M in Huntsville. It is only 1.5 hours away :-)

[nashvols]

IKEA is neat, but personally I'm not heartbroken if they don't come here.

But to address the potential of them coming here, and one of the criteria being population within a certain radius exclusive to the market, I think it's important to remember that we have a pretty large buffer between us and other cities of size.

Closest sizable markets (not including Bowling Green, Jackson, etc).

Huntsville - 112 miles S
Chattanooga - 133 miles SE
Louisville - 175 miles N
Knoxville - 180 miles E
Birmingham - 192 miles S
Memphis - 213 miles SW

We're the largest city among all of those, so I would say we have a pretty easy argument at saying we have a pull of at least, if not over half the distance between those cities. Rather than 40-60 miles, I think 80-100 is more appropriate.

Our metro area has a population of a little more than 1.6 million. Add in Columbia/Spring Hill with another 85k. Add in closer in markets like Clarksville, Hopkinsville, and Bowling Green, which are all an hour or less away...you get really close to the 2 million mark. Cookeville (a college town) and Manchester/Tullahoma are a little more than an hour...and don't forget Jackson, which despite being closer to Memphis, should be considered in the equation if IKEA is looking for a location here.

It should also be noted that places like Huntsville, Knoxville, and Memphis would be closer to a Nashville IKEA than they would be any current IKEA city. Chattanooga is roughly half way, but slightly closer to Atlanta. Louisville is closer to Cincinnati.


We have the 29th largest TV market, with more than 2,663,000 people. I think we could handle IKEA.

[JoninATX]

Congrats Nashville on luring Ikea. The one I go to in Austin had recently expanded and was just built 6 yrs ago, overall Ikea nice and has decent furniture I go every now and then. Btw, this is the first I've heard about the 2 million rule.

[Big TR]

I can't wait for the opportunity to purchase disposable furniture again like I could in Chicago.

[El Passeaux]

I used to live in Rolling Meadows near the Ikea at Woodfield. We would go on a Sunday every once in a while and kill a good 3 hours in Ikea.

[bigcitymike]

A lot of IKEA's are out on the edges of town (not all of them) because of CHEAP real estate. They could build it in Lebanon by 840 and 40 to bring it a lil closer to those coming from the eastern side of the state. Closer at least traffic wise. And I'm sure land out in Wilson county is dirt cheap compared to that downtown.

Anyone that would go to the one downtown, would go to one in Wilson county.

[jabogitlu]

That would be fine, especially if it built along the Star line. The IKEA I went to in NoVa is sorta close to the commuter rail so it's somewhat possible to get there that way.