Day 1: 40k throng first IKEA store in India

Around 40,000 people visited IKEA's first India store on the opening day here, a company spokesperson told IANS. The Swedish home furnishings retailer received huge response from customers on Thursday. The spokesperson, however, declined to share the numbers relating to the business transacted on the first day.

However, the response was in line with the expectations. Store manager John Achillea had stated that they were expecting 40,000 to 45,000 people.

With huge crowd thronging the store in the evening, the IKEA staff found it a bit challenging to regulate the entry. There were also few tense moments when some people broke queue to force their entry.

Drawn by the aggressive marketing campaign including advertisements with the prices of affordable products, a large number of visitors from several parts of the city thronged the 

Many were curious to see the offering from an international brand. They were seen checking the price tag and feeling the products like beds, mattresses and chairs.

As the sprawling store has come up in the heart of HITEC City, majority of the customers were techies from information technology companies.