Henderson business brings IKEA to your doorstep

Even though IKEA, the international home furnishing store, doesn't have a location in Las Vegas, it doesn't matter.

ModernLV brings the merchandise to customers.

Henderson residents Carrie Mauriello-Crozer and her husband, William Crozer, started the business four years ago after seeing a similar idea in Nashville, Tenn.

"They would go to Atlanta to pick up stuff (from IKEA)," Mauriello-Crozer said. "We realized this was an up-and-coming trend."

Mauriello-Crozer saw a similar need for Las Vegans wanting to have access to IKEA. The closest IKEA is about 230 miles away in Covina, Calif.

"Vegas is pretty transient," Mauriello-Crozer said. "I think people who were used to shopping at IKEA moved here and were shocked to find there wasn't one here."

Mauriello-Crozer said even if people want to drive to the store, they might not have the car space to bring back their desired items. It also might not be time- or cost-effective to drive there, she added.

Instead of spending half a day driving back and forth to California, ModernLV does it for people. The business charges 29 percent of the fee - before sales tax - on orders less than $500 and 20 percent for orders more than $500.

"There are no minimum or maximum orders," Mauriello-Crozer said.

Orders must be in by noon Thursday before the expedition. For the most part, Mauriello-Crozer said, the business deals in cash.

"We do some credit card stuff, but it's case-by-case," Mauriello-Crozer said.

It took about a year for the business to catch on, Mauriello-Crozer said.

"It's mostly word of mouth," she said.

Even when other similar business models popped up, Mauriello-Crozer said the company was able to carry on. She said the ModernLV maintains communication with customers, which she saw as a flaw in other companies.

"We knew we had to be consistent," she said.

They started out doing pickups once a month.

"Then it was every three weeks," Mauriello-Crozer said. "Now we are once a week."

After all the orders are placed, the duo drives to Los Angeles every Sunday.

"We have been working with our store for a while," Mauriello-Crozer said. "We pretty much pay the order up front, check everything, then load the truck."

The Crozers make sure to load the truck with the last deliveries in the back and first deliveries in front to make sure everything runs efficiently.

For $20, the couple can deliver the order to the customer's door. People can also pick up their order from the Crozers in Henderson.

ModernLV also does assemblies for $35.

The business has been contracted by homeowners and businesses around the valley, ranging from Water Street to Fremont Street.

William Crozer said the ModernLV has worked with conventions coming to Las Vegas that want a nice setup with IKEA furniture. After the convention, ModernLV has helped some of the companies donate the items to organizations such as Habitat for Humanity.

The business has even helped an international client.

"We had a lady from Sweden email us," Crozer said.

Crozer said she was looking for a specific type of measuring cups from the Martha Stewart Collection that wasn't - nor would it be - available where she lived. ModernLV was able to pick the item and export it.

"It was a little tricky," Crozer said.

ModernLV expects to be around as long as IKEA doesn't open a store in Las Vegas.

"We always joke we are not going to retire on this business," Mauriello- Crozer said. "It is a lot of work, but we love it and love making people happy."

For more information, visit modernlv.com or email carrie@ modernlv.com.

Contact Henderson/Anthem View reporter Michael Lyle at mlyle@viewnews.com or 387-5201.