that's right....ikea has hit the metro detroit area. i believe it swooped in on the 7th of june, if i remember correctly from the scads of tv commercials that flooded our area. unrealistic and way-too-much-hype commercials if you ask me. for instance, one started out by talking about the greatest days of a girl's life: the day you got your braces off....the day you got your license....the day you got your own place.....the day he proposed......*and here's where the record player in my mind screeched to a halt*....the day ikea comes to canton......*rrrrrrRRRRRR* what?!? did they just equate a massive home furnishings warehouse to the day i got engaged???
yeah, they did.
now, i'm all about home decor. i love to walk through pier 1, world market, the great indoors, and the like to find great ideas i can copy at a fraction of the price. and nathan is right there with me. of course he's more into lowe's b/c there's always demolition involved when you go there or hq.....that's my dad's nickname for home depot (you think that's funny....ask him why baskin robbins is called bk.....i think it was some secret code he tried to pull over on my sister and me, but we were way too quick for that junk)
so my mom, sister, and self packed up the kiddies and hit ikea first thing this a.m. we got there right after it opened and it was already packed. there was an employee standing at the door directing people to the showroom. the showroom is the second floor of the store where they lay out room scenarios and you can 'test drive' certain items. i was on the hunt for a new office chair, and let me tell ya i sat in quite a few.
so the elevator opens and empties fast....it was like the greyhounds saw that little fake rabbit and took off like their lives depended on it. we somehow managed to get out of that tremendous flow of traffic and pull off to the side. that's where we picked up our handy maps, fake measuring tapes (which nic and i both immediately put around our necks:), and ikea golf pencils. on the back of the map is a section to write down things you want to buy and what isle they are on (note that for later). we started through the showroom and there were just people everywhere. everyone was supposed to follow the arrows through each section, but at certain points there were "shortcuts" that you could skip sections. btw, since when did shopping in america have rules? rules like....follow the arrows. go through the showroom first. don't take big carts upstairs. just curious.
so anyway, we're walking through sitting in all kinds of chairs and looking at all the furniture and all of a sudden i thought, "this is like a 1950's sci-fi thriller where zombies take over the minds of the unsuspecting town-folk and they walk like drones through the town square." and that's just what it was. i stepped off to the side and looked over the sea of people to find that they were all just mindlessly walking along "following the arrows". staring blankly at all the furniture until something caught their eyes and they scooted off to the side to check the price.
we walked through the entire maze of the top floor showroom. they really do have cool stuff there, and quite reasonably priced. but the set up was just too much for me. i'm sure once i've been there more than once i'll have a better feel for it, but overall, it's not very user-friendly for a first timer.
and that was only the top floor. we still had the "marketplace" to wander through. that seemed long to me b/c connor was trying to fall asleep in his stroller so he was a little fussy. at one point my mom said she wanted to go outside and call my dad to ask his opinion about a chair. i said, "how do you plan to get out?" but we got through that and then it all opens up to this giant warehouse section with huge ceilings and boxes upon boxes. that's when you take your notes and find the isle and bin location of your selected items. pull them out and walk down the straight-away to the check out.
overall, i give it a 6 out of 10. definitely didn't live up to the hype. i was expecting the great indoors and i got service merchandise. their only redemption was the cool stuff and good prices.
i do plan to go back, but this time armed with knowledge and a better grasp of their floor plan.
12 comments:
My mom was going to go today, but she said she drove by and it was packed.
So, I'd love to HEAR that scream. :) audioblogger.com :)
The best part about IKEA is the cafeteria. Kids meals with drinks for 99 cents. And when your kiddies are potty trained they can go to the play area.
sounds like fun-well maybe. i can't imagine taking my three in. someday....
btw, i finally remembered my blogger info so that i could leave posts! =)
kelley-
i don't know if i'm that brave yet....:)
julie-
with drinks? wow, i didn't know that. cool. and i sort of chuckled when i saw the "potty trained" sign at the play area.
nic-
thanks for saying hi....yeah, definitely take help or leave the little ones. it's a wild place. it would probably be nice to go through when you don't have to keep track of kids and you've got some time to look.
Wow, what a crazy experience!! I have never been to IKEA but I have heard SO MANY things about it. I am sure after a while the newness will wear off and they will lay off on the "rules"!!
we have 2 nearby us, but haven't been to one yet. i'm not really into the modern/contemporary look, so i don't feel like i'm missing out. some of their stuff does look cool in their catalogs. it sounds like a cabela's for women!
I am shocked beyone all belief by your 6 out of 10. I admit, it takes a few times (i've been there about six) to get the feel of things. You have to pick the right time of day to go as well, and it is almost impossible to go with the kids, which is why it has taken me six times!! I loved it though. They have great items at great prices! didnt you love the kids section? I have already picked up several things for Gavin there. Maybe you'll have to call me up and I will personally escort you through the maddness!! Hope you enjoy it more next time, if you decide to have a next time!
We have an IKEA near us and before we moved here I was SO EXCITED to be living near one, but I have to say that the excitement has worn off quite a bit. It is a little overwhelming and now that my shopping endurance has slowed down due to Ella I usually just go to the "marketplace" It has all the same stuff, just not set up. They do have some great prices though - I like to buy napkins and in the summer they have these super cute bright coloured zip-lock bags with stripes and handles! Great idea.
And about the kids area - I've had people tell me they drop their kids off and go on a "date" to the cafeteria! Ha - I guess when you have a few kids you'll do anything for free babysitting!
I hope your next experience is a little better.
kelli-
i sure hope so. i like to take my sweet time and back track like crazy when i'm shopping.
pam-
that is EXACTLY what i thought! as i was walking through i was thinking, "i should describe this as cabella's for women" and when i actually got home i had forgotten about it....great minds....:)
suzanne-
yeah, i thought going early would be a good time. but i think it's just going to be busy there until summer is over. i'm definitely going back though....i had my eye on a sweet entertainment center. and yes, i did like a lot of the stuff in the kids section. it will be a while before connor can enjoy the things i liked though....good thing since moolah is tight.
kelly-
thanks for the tips on napkins. i'm always looking for fun stuff to mix it up in summer. yeah, connor slowed my shopping experience too. we used to jump in the car and go out to walk the mall every weekend. now we don't jump in the car anymore. :) i'd say it's a fair trade though. and we've really got it down to a system now.
I enjoy IKEA, but yeah it takes a couple of times to get the hang of it. We have to travel 1 1/2 hours to get to one. The kid watching place is a huge help. It lets you scope out the entire store, then pick up the kiddos and go to the warehouse part and pick up the stuff. I just got a 16 cube bookcase and love it!
yeah, jen-
i think when connor is old enough to go in there he'll love shopping! :) i've got my eye on a nice bookcase too....all of our books are on a cheesy case downstairs. it's so musty down there, i just want them up in the "office"....which is actually just a bedroom we've converted.
The Ikea in Virginia is up by DC. We've got a desk picked out that we really want (from the catalog) but still haven't made the 4 hour trek up there. I can't imagine being able to go 6 times! Fun stuff.
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