Ikea Richmond first opened its doors on Oct. 2, 1976.
Your hopes of a quick-and-easy new dresser have quickly devolved into a late night bender, flooding your living room floor with instruction manuals, five different types of screws and particle board panels at various stages of completion. We’ve all been there.
Metro Vancouverites’ complicated relationship with Swedish build-it-yourself furniture all began on Oct. 2, 1976 when Ikea Richmond opened its doors — marking the company’s first foray into the Canadian market.
Now, 50 years later, Ikea is celebrating that milestone.
For five decades, Ikea has been a part of everyday life at home for Canadians, from first apartments to growing families, says Selwyn Crittendon, CEO of Ikea Canada.
“As we mark this incredible milestone, we’re focused on what has always mattered most: making well-designed, functional home furnishing more affordable and accessible for the many Canadians,” he says in a press release.
To celebrate the occasion, Ikea Richmond is hosting three days of events this weekend (Oct. 2 to 4).
The festivities include:
traditional Lion Dance performance (Saturday at 11 a.m.),
furniture assembly races,
Kallax store and organize competition,
“guess how many” contests,
an in-store hunt for iconic Ikea products, and
family-friendly activities, prizes and surprises throughout the weekend.
The celebration also includes special anniversary offers inspired by 1976.
Agam junior chairs (white) will be slashed from the regular $69.99 down to $9.76 on Friday only, while quantities last.
Kallax shelves (77×147 cm, white) will be selling at half price (regular $99, down to $49.50), on Saturday and Sunday, and limited to 500 unites per day.
Every weekend throughout October, Ikea Canada will continue to offer one “iconic” product at 50 per cent off.
As Ikea Richmond has grown over the years, it has moved from its original location at 435A No. 3 Road (now 4351 No. 3 Road), to Sweden Way, and today to its current home at 3320 Jacombs Rd.