For many expats, purchasing your first furniture materials for your own expat home is one of the very first few things you have to do after deciding where to settle. It can be tough, especially if you are in a market where there are hardly any US brands that you are familiar with. For those who are used to becoming expats, this is just OK, but probably not with the first-timers.
This is not the case anymore with Santo Domingo, which will have its very own Ikea store on February 17. The Santo Domingo branch will be Ikea's first branch here in Latin America, and it is expected to be the start of the company's wider operations in the Americas.
In order to let people know more about the company and its products, Ikea has already started to distribute 300,000 copies of its 376-page catalogue to various households in the capital city. Because of the catalogues, it is expected that more people will familiarize themselves with the furniture brand and purchase some of the products.
So why the Dominican Republic, of all places in Latin America? Why does the company intend to start its Latin America campaign here? According to marketing director Julissa Taveras, the company sees the Dominican Republic as a country that is full of opportunities. It is even looking at the possibility of sourcing their products from local producers in the future. For now, Ikea has contracted a Spanish company to provide furniture and goods assembly services. The prices featured in the catalogue are also benchmarked against the European market.
With Ikea's entry to the Dominican market, expats are given more options as to how they will decorate their homes and make them more functional. Some people still feel more comfortable this way because this makes them feel more at home. Though it is always best to get from local producers in order to allow you to get a more local feel (if you really want to immerse yourself in Dominican culture), goods from Ikea are still most welcome.
