IKEA Miami is the Biggest Store Opening of 2014!

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The biggest event for Racked Miami, the 2014 Racked Awards, commences today, so we only saw fit to begin the shebang with the biggest store opening of the year, IKEA Miami. The event was HUGE, comparable only to the square footage of the Scandinavian home retailer's most eco-friendly Florida addition. The event was so huge, in fact, that Miami Dade County and City of Sweetwater officially named August 27 IKEA Day. Seriously.

What occured within the 48 hours in which the store opened was pandemonium. Hundreds lined up with tents, air mattresses and sleeping bags in hopes of scoring free armchairs, mattresses, sofas and a year's supply of Swedish meatballs. Friendly employees passed out complimentary coffee, doughnuts, cinnamon buns and other goodies to keep line goers at bay, but when the sun rose, the real party started. In true Miami fashion, foam sticks, live performers, stilt dancers and Pitbull songs were involved, and the promotions kept rolling throughout the upcoming days.

Though there were a few other candidates who could have taken the top spot, like Microsoft's Macklemore concert at Aventura Mall, the amount of pre and post social media buzz, free giveaways, and the fact that a store opening merits an official day of the year make IKEA Miami the biggest store opening of 2014. Check out our full gallery of what's inside, here.
· IKEA's Opening Day Is So Big, Miami Has Made It a Holiday [Racked Miami]
· Your First Look Inside IKEA Miami [Racked Miami]