By Park Si-soo
GWANGMYEONG, Gyeonggi Province — The IKEA outlet here has been a success since its Dec. 18 opening, attracting its one-millionth visitor on Jan. 21.
Now, it appears that its charm might be waning as the 3,500-car parking lot was observed with a healthy number of empty spaces Tuesday.
Some visitors previously complained about the lack of parking spaces.
An IKEA spokeswoman admitted that the number of visitors is declining, but denied it was driven by any problems linked to the company.
"The mall was crowded beyond its capacity during the first several weeks. The number of visitors is now going down to a level we expected initially, which means things are proceeding as expected," she said. "Traffic congestion during weekends is not as bad it was. Overall, it's getting better to go shopping at IKEA."
Many experts agreed, saying it's quite natural to see a drop in visitors after an initial rush. But they didn't rule out the possibility that the drop can be blamed on something else.
"The affordability was the biggest competitive edge that has drawn such a great number of visitors to the outlet. If the number was reduced, we need to check whether the policy appeals to customers properly," a furniture industry insider said.
Lee Eun-kyung, a fitness trainer in her 20s who visited the IKEA outlet on Tuesday said prices were "not as low as I expected."
"I think the price of products I'm looking for are not that different from products I found on online shopping malls," she said. "I drove my car for nearly an hour to come here because I've heard that I could buy products at cheaper prices. But that was not the case."
The building's inside was quite crowded, but many people left the mall empty-handed, meaning a large portion of visitors were "window-shoppers," not those determined to buy something.
Many of those standing in lines for cashiers were holding casual products needed at home or the office. There were only a few people with home furnishing products.
"Today I learned that I need to make an extra payment to get home delivery," said a man in his 40s who visited the mall to buy a bed for his son. "I found a model that is ideal for my son. But I won't buy it today. Instead, I will think at home whether to buy it at IKEA or elsewhere."
Asked why, he said considering the extra payment for home delivery, the IKEA price is not so much lower than that he was told at a furniture store near his home in Seoul.
Unlike Korean furniture stores that mostly offer home delivery and installation for free, these are paid services at IKEA. The basic cost for delivery is 29,000 won and it increases in proportion to the distance. Another 40,000 won is required for installation.
"All IKEA outlets around the globe have the same policy," the IKEA spokeswoman.