Kiwi retail giant The Warehouse has taken a cheeky dig at Swedish newcomers IKEA by hastily reopening a long disused Bargain Shed a 20-minute drive away in Auckland’s Mt Eden.
IKEA opened in Auckland’s Sylvia Park today to much fanfare – including a visit from Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, throngs of eager shoppers, and a dancing meatball mascot.
The opening was expected to cause widespread traffic delays and “mayhem” around the already-busy shopping area but the predictions didn’t come to pass as Kiwis managed to remain calm.
Simultaneously this morning, The Warehouse announced reopening its Red Shed in Mt Eden after more than a decade – just 11km from the big blue box. The company invited customers to get into the festive spirit “without blowing the budget or getting stuck in Sylvia Park traffic”.
The move was so sudden The Warehouse added an apology that it hadn’t had time to deck out the building properly yet. “Our sign gets installed tonight,” a spokesperson said.
Scene outside Auckland IKEA as mega fans await opening – Watch on TVNZ+
“The Balmoral Rd site has been dormant since 2014 but, for the next few months, it’s getting a new lease of life as a pop-up store,” The Warehouse Group chief executive officer Mark Stirton said in a statement.
New bargains would be dropping at the “old school” store every week, he said.
“The Warehouse Bargain Shed is about us getting back to our roots and doing what The Warehouse does best – great value, and a bit of Kiwi ingenuity. For anyone keen to skip the Sylvia Park traffic and hunt for a homeware bargain, Mt Eden is the place to be.”
The Mt Eden Bargain Shed would be opening its doors again on Friday morning.
