RETAIL : Ikea Hopes the Novelty Won’t Wear Off in Expansion From Burbank to Tustin
Compiled by Chris Woodyard, Times staff writer
In Burbank, the Ikea store has been as much a phenomenon as a furniture store. It is, like, the place to be on Saturday for Dockers-clad yuppies driving Sable station wagons or Dodge minivans.
The store--so busy that it needs a team of security guards to direct traffic--offers contemporary Scandinavian-style furniture at moderate prices.
Yet to be seen is whether having several outlets will diminish Ikea’s novelty value. The company, based in Sweden, opened a store Wednesday in Tustin Market Place, its first in Orange County and one of three being opened this week.
The Tustin location was formerly occupied by Stor, a competitor that Ikea bought out.
