I guess it was bound to happen. Since I’m a Swede, there was always going to be one post about IKEA on this blog. The stars were aligned, and now they deliver.
About 3 years ago, Haparanda (33km from my home town) was a depressed, run-down border town with very few incentives to entice a casual passer-by to spend the night.
Yes it's Fantastisk.
Then, along came IKEA. Against better knowledge (the area was notoriously bad for business, on that everyone would agree), the Swedish furniture giant decided to build one of their signature stores on an empty lot just next to the border.
Once news broke that IKEA were moving in, a dozen other retailers followed suit. In just three short years, Haparanda went from being a threatened outpost to being the main commercial center for people in a 500km radius, enticing visitors from places as far as Murmansk and Northern Norway. In short, it was a thumping success.
So what is it like, really? Well, imagine any place where big, boxy buildings make up most of the architecture. The main restaurant in town is the IKEA canteen. It must be like living in an outlet village. In fact, I think it IS like living in an outlet village.
People in Haparanda aren’t complaining though. They now have jobs, and they don’t have to move.
Thanks, IKEA. I guess.
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