I don’t hate the furniture really…it’s fairly decent starter furniture. I don’t think building it is a problem. (My tastes are more into unique and artsy, though…would a lot rather spend the money at the antique mall)
But here’s my real beef with IKEA (and no, it’s not the horsemeat found some of their meatballs)…it’s going to their store.
it’s like a Swedish corn maze death march. Spiraling around and around the 13 levels of hell…you can’t escape!
And while, yes, I did discover the escape map later…this wasn’t before I went to the store to purchase ONE ITEM that I had the item number for…and spent two hours walking in circles trying to find the right bin, and escape the endless arrows leading me further into the abyss.
I shudder to think what would happen in a fire or other emergency that required evacuation.
Kinda baffles me that the fire marshals are ok with that lay out.
Yeah, you can get some good deals. I bought some down pillows I love. But I can’t bring myself to go in there again.
Anyone else really hate the shopping experience there?
I understand completely. I find the stores very disorienting. I walk in there and wonder how claustrophobic people cope and then consider whether I might be claustrophobic. I can imagine the confusion if they ever had a fire drill. I do like them but it’s a 90 road trip to go to the nearest store.
I can’t stand the store either. We took our daughter up there this summer, by the time we left we all agreed never again. The furniture is cheap, the store is completely overwhelming and I’m not into furniture that I have to assemble like a lego structure. Following that pathway around nearly gave me a nervous breakdown.
We recently went to the College Park store to upgrade our daughter’s bedroom furniture. We went in looking for a very specific bookcase and dresser and found what we were looking for pretty quickly, got to the right bin in the warehouse and everything was there. We had been to the store before (we might go once every two years) so we knew what to expect. We actually picked up a couple of additional small items that we needed, so, all in all, it was a good trip. And everything was assembled within a week and looks great. Our daughter loves it.
I went there once when I had a headache. Bad combination! But I think it’s a fun adventure to go every few years. It’s not particularly close to our house, so I have only been through that maze about 3 times. I helped my son shop for apartment furninture there recently, and that was fun.
Suggestion for IKEA improvement: I think they should institute a slow lane and a passing lane!
I can get claustrophobic - but Ikea does not make me feel that way.
Going to IKEA is NOT like going to Target. Ikea is an experience. One you should embrace or leave behind. If you don’t like their stuff, don’t go there! If you do like their stuff - and their prices - then you have to play along with the experience that is IKEA.
Once or twice a year - totally fun and serves it’s purpose. Great for young adults starting out, furnishing a second home/cottage.
Yeah, it’s a destination, a half day trip, not like running into a furniture only place, certainly not a convenience store. It serves its purpose and you can find the shortcuts. We don’t go at known busy times.
A big part of our enjoying it more than not is the window shopping part, getting distracted. Oh, wait, my kids hate when they look over their shoulders and don’t see me cuz I’ve been distracted. But we usually only buy what we’re there for.
I can see how some would not like it, but I enjoy my once a year trips. Our Pittsburgh store is probably on the smaller side for an IKEA though. I like browsing on the bottom floor, and I don’t like shopping in general. I’ve been in the College Park and Brooklyn stores, which are more hectic. My S got most of his apartment furniture there, and when he had to move from NYC to Seattle area it was fairly easy for him to disassemble much of it to pack up. I don’t think he could have gotten his sofa out of his apartment and down 3 flights of narrow stairs without taking it apart!
I am not a big fan of Ikea furniture or the stores, though our adult kids own a few things from there. Just for fun google “Ikea in China sleeping”. Some folks spend a lot of time there.
I have an Ikea 15 minutes away. I don’t even have to get on the highway to get there. On a Thursday afternoon it’s very quiet. Once you’ve been there three times all the shortcuts are obvious and you only have to go where you want. I think it’s fun. I like their sample apartments. And 20 inch feather pillows forms for $6!!!
IKEA does cabinets really well. Europeans are adept at making small spaces useable. We turned a small kitchen into a wonder at a reasonable price before putting the place on the market at a profit. They have third party installers, and ours was very good. The furniture comes in at least two price points, and if you look closely you can tell which furniture is truly solid and built to last. We designed a basement entertainment center/book shelf and have moved it around with us. Quite solid and nice. A couple of flat table/desks have served my kids well for studying. They are simple and I have raised the height as the kids have grown. These look solid and do not look cheap. Best of all, they don’t look like kids furniture so they can be used as adults. I’ve spent more for less at other furniture stores on kid furniture. Like any place, you have to shop smart.
I used to also go to the College Park store. After a while, I would return just to get their excellent frozen pancakes in the food shop. But… you can’t go IN the EXIT unless someone is coming out and trips the door sensor. Irritating.
They have similar crowd control everywhere. It used to be that you couldn’t go straight to the warehouse without wandering through the showrooms first. There were shortcuts, but they would appear and disappear like a Hogwarts staircase. I finally got the hang of cutting straight into the showroom (go downstairs from the cafe), cutting straight through to the last room (where they have flower pots) and hugging the wall to get to the checkout (you skip all the slow people who are looking for their aisle). It’s work!
Even in parking they try to control overmuch. I found out that every Ikea has a secret underground parking garage. But if you go UP the elevator, you can’t go DOWN that way later. I found a fire stair so I could go up, hopefully wait outside the exit for someone to open the door, and easily go down later without wondering if I’d chosen the right elevator. Phew!
Gosh, I think it’s pretty easy. My son needed to furnish an apartment. He was in Pittsburgh with his Dad with less than an hour before closing. I got on the website here in NY while they went straight to the warehouse area. I told them which bins had the bed and other furniture he needed so he didn’t have to sleep on a hard floor that night. I could see what was in stock and what wasn’t.
BTW it’s not a maze, it’s more like a labyrinth. There’s only one path - you can’t actually get lost.
I love looking at all the stuff on the way, it’s a style I like. Unfortunately the rest of my family hates shopping for furniture and just wants to get out of their ASAP. The last time we were there we made it a lunch stop on the way home from a summer vacation. I picked up a few things I wanted for my kitchen construction. (They have great hanging bards and hooks) - we were in and out in no time.
When we go to Ikea, it is usually for breakfast, as their $.99 breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon and homefries can’t be beat. I really like the “As-Is” department, as the floor samples and returns can be marked down for tremendous savings. DH has more than once found me lingering there, or in the house plants department.
