Allen Zadr's Journal: The Ikea Explanation

So, I took my son to Ikea while he was up for a visit. There are no such stores where I came from. So his Gramma asks me, "Isn't Ikea a some-assembly-required furniture store???"

This is about as incredulous as she'll get, and I felt like I had to explain myself. So, what I sent back reads more like ad-copy than an Email. Enjoy it, and feel free to ridicule me for it.

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Yes, mostly. The initial "draw" is the sheer size. Take the space of four large Best-Buy stores, and add a little more, across two floors, and several distinct phases. It's also not limited to what you'd expect to get from Wal-Mart's furniture area. Add to the standard assembly-furniture, things like modular kitchens, flooring, couches, mattresses.

You start at an escalator to send you to the top floor. And you're supposed to pick up a browsing bag. It's like being in a maze where Rooms-To-Go style showrooms are all packed together. but it's many more rooms. End-caps, and aisle-bins have small items that are meant to be put into the browsing bag. Rooms are all made up of stuff elsewhere in the store. There are rooms set up to various economic, and style considerations, from natural woods, to industrial grays, to bright colors, in collage-dorm, first apartment, and "I've got some money" levels. When I say "rooms made up of" that includes modular closets, kitchen sinks, pictures, lighting, floors, floor coverings.

Next section is dedicated to types of furniture, desks, desk chairs, lounge chairs, dressers, couches, lounge chairs, kids stuff, and then to the Sweedish cafeteria. Meatballs, of course, but also salads, deserts, smallish sandwiches, and more kid-friendly stuff...

Down the stairs (the two landings are covered with different types of their modular flooring. Time to turn in the browsing bag for a cart...

They have a section dedicated to wall hangings, photos and paintings in all sizes, and others dedicated to lighting, rugs, cook-ware, bedding (sheets, bed-spreads). Again, the path is back and forth, which just makes the place seem even bigger, then ... walk through the doorway into the warehouse area. That cart can now be traded in for a flat-bed. Anything you liked in the rooms upstairs is here, with fully assembled samples in-case you forgot to write down the aisle and bin number.

Final transition is to the cash-register area, with lots, and lots of bins .. batteries, light bulbs, throw-rugs, cups, back-scratchers... just stuff. Past the checkout line, a snack area where you can get a 50 cent hot-dog, or a 1 dollar cinnamon roll.

The second "draw" is the European style. Little wonder, being the place is European, but it's different. And different is good. The furniture is strictly 'get what you pay for', but pretty much everything is just a little better than you'd expect (just a little). 1 finger sliding drawers is the rule, not the exception - and the instructions have no words - just numbers and pictures.

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So, yeah, it's an assemble it yourself furniture store, on some serious money.

wait, they've got back-scratchers?!? :)

[Bill Dog]

The initial "draw" is the sheer size.

That wouldn't be so bad on its own -- e.g. Costco's are mammoth and I go there all the time. But the Ikea around here forces you to walk the length of the store many times over, sporting a single crowded path to, erm, the flatbed area where the checkouts are. And this path marches you by every single plastic bauble and trinket in the place. It's claustrophobic, and takes so long to get through and you can't see the end until the end that you wonder if you'll ever make it

Re:wait, they've got back-scratchers?!? :)

[artifex2004]

But the Ikea around here forces you to walk the length of the store many times over, sporting a single crowded path to, erm, the flatbed area where the checkouts are. And this path marches you by every single plastic bauble and trinket in the place.

The Ikea I go to in Frisco has "shortcuts" marked with signs, on both floors.

I like their food court. I always get something salmony, like gravlax or something.
I think if I lived close by, Ikea would be a daily walking route. Or maybe not. Like you said, it doe

Re:wait, they've got back-scratchers?!? :)

[Bill Dog]

The "trap and herd" layout may be unique to the one here, or maybe newish ones. I shouldn't imply that I hate Ikea. My bookshelf with all my computer books was from there. Same for my awesome computer desk, a modular L-shaped goodie, where the long end can be attached to either side. I couldn't find a corner kind of desk anywhere else that had that huge expanse of a surface. They're a good place for reasonably-priced basic furniture, you get a lot for your money and the pieces fit together ingeniously.