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Ikea tops list of searches for Used.ca Victoria

When it comes to IKEA furniture, Victoria residents can't seem to get enough of it.

When it comes to IKEA furniture, Victoria residents can't seem to get enough of it.

Living on an island without the popular Swedish furniture store has prompted shoppers to go online and search through local classified sites for whatever IKEA items they can find.

For the second year in a row, IKEA has claimed the number one spot in the 2015 top 10 searches on the free online classified site, Used.ca. One of the most popular items is the boxy Expedit book shelf, and given the hot market for IKEA furniture, the price is always firm.

“They don't need to negotiate on any IKEA items,” said Lacey Sheardown, director of marketing and acting president of Used.ca (also known as usedvictoria.ca), located in downtown Victoria.

“What people will do, if the item is $99, they'll post that they paid $99 at IKEA and post it on the site. Then they'll go on to say you save the tax, you save the ferry ride and you save the gas...It's quite the phenomenon because we don't have one here.”

Rounding out the top 10 list in Victoria is the iPhone at number two, followed by Jeep, firewood, dresser, couch, chair, iPad, Nikon and BMW.

Nationwide, the top search for more than two million monthly users was also IKEA, followed by dresser and Jeep. But Sheardown said those results are somewhat skewed since the bulk of users (700,000 per month) are based in Victoria and the surrounding area. The only other region that's seen IKEA on the list in past years was Prince Edward Island, which also has no store.

The results for online searches across the nation vary significantly, painting a picture of what people are interested in depending on where they live. In Prince Edward Island, the top search for 2015 was yarn, followed by vinyl records and a snowblower while in Vancouver, the top search was a camper, Mustang and bicycle.

One of the biggest surprises for Sheardown was seeing the Montreal Canadiens among the top 10 searches in Ottawa, along with Lego. Star Wars items are also a growing trend with the upcoming release of the latest movie.

“We're always amazed and amused at what Canadians are looking for on Used.ca,” said Sheardown. “This list never disappoints.”

In Victoria, Sheardown noted firewood is consistently on the list, along with Jeep and BMW. Whenever a new version of an iPhone rolls onto the market, older iPhones become a big hit on the online classified site.