June 16, 2008

You Can't Make Money Flipping Ikea In New Zealand

mocka_antilop_scr.jpg

In the country of the Ikea-less, the guy reselling Ikea basics with like a five-dollar markup is king. New Zealand is such a country, and Mocka is such a king. Seriously, how weird is this?

Mocka offers free shipping on "Affordable European designs" like the "Mocka designer highchair" above, which anyone can see is actually the Ikea Antilop. [I know because I just pulled ours out of storage yesterday. It's identical in every dimple.]

The Mocka is $89, currently marked down ["offer ends May 26 (sic)"] to $69. The Antilop is $20; [it used to be $14]. A 350% markup? Could the country with more sheep than people really be fleeced so easily? Not quite.

$US 20 is NZ$ 27.
But the Antilop is $AU 39 in Australia, which is $US 37, or NZ$ 49. So whether you're Phil or Ted, a Haka-dancing rugby player or a hobbit, Mocka will go abroad, brave the Ikea mob, and deliver a high chair to your door for just NZ$20, or fifteen bucks US? That's just crazy. Tell him to bring some meatballs, too.

UPDATE IT GETS CRAZIER: From Eric's comment below, we learn that some Environmental Court has again thwarted Ikea's most recent attempt to open a store in New Zealand. Says it'd be too popular and generate too much traffic. Obviously, Mocka is an angel of mercy, an inspiration to us all. We need to organize an Ikea Airlift for New Zealand ASAP. In case we don't get permission from the totalitarian NZ regime, we should start with air droppable products: light plastics and soft things, not any of the particle board stuff. Just imagine all the book collections in disarray across the country right now, though... the horror... the horror...

MOCKA DESIGNER HIGHCHAIR -$69.00 [mocka.co.nz via dt reader kate]
Related example of why you can't flip Ikea: Iscrewya: $119 Ikea Crib, Now $311 On eBay

8 Comments

Greg,
You know better by now that's likely just another Chinese alternative like the whole Like-A-Bike thing!!! We've a local importer here that has one under the name "Cool"...

If the place doesn't have any Ikea branch, then that's probably gonna work. I don't know with New Zealand, haven't been there (but I'd like to go there someday :D).

Anyway, I looked up the ikea link. o.o Wow. Mocka must have sold a lot for this.

you could probably get a thru- shipper to get us prices shipped bulk and get it cheaper than through Australia. Still its a slim margin. Baby furniture is expensive there so it seems like it would sell.

Ikea tried to open a store in Auckland. But there were objections under the Resource Management Act that there would be too much traffic caused by the store being there. So Ikea couldn't open. How completely ridiculous: "you can't come here, because you'd be too popular". Odds that it was one of the many overpriced domestic furniture retailers that lodged the objection? Very high indeed.

Here's the New Zealand Herald story on the Environment Court barring Ikea from opening.

I almost cried.

Ikea not coming - because they'd be too popular [nzh]

[holy smokes. it's like you're living behind the Blue Curtain. Even Russia has Ikeas now, lots of them. -ed.]

The problem is that they are trying to open in Auckland. I reckon that there is a perfect site for Ikea in New Zealand. There is an old car factory site at the back of Porirua that would be perfect. It is two minutes from the motorway, so 30 mins from Wellington, 30 mins from Lower Hutt and 30 mins from Kapiti. Shouldn't cause traffic problems with that location and Wellingtonians would welcome them with open arms.

It is still a huge catchment area, and in the centre of the country there would be people who come just to go to Ikea. I'm sure Ikea would still make mega bucks, even if they don't start in Auckland.

Hmm...If they're afraid of traffic congestion why not try a location like Palmerston North? It's quiet enough...Also, that they could probably make a killing off the student population because of the university being there, and it's not too far away from Wellington...

I've just bought an Ikea bookcase (style Billy) and a small Besta style cupboard, plus some storage boxes. The style and quality is simple, modern and good, and the ease of assembling them is just brilliant.
True value for money!

Hope you folks down under will soon have the opportunity shopping at this wonderful store!

[? -ed.]

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