Why is IKEA so popular?

[moon]

I've never been to an IKEA because they don't have a store where I live. I knew it was popular, but never paid much attention.

Tommorrow there's an IKEA opening not far from where I live and there are news reports, and people camping out for the opening! I've never seen such thing for a furniture store.....or any store that I can remember.

Why the hoopla?

 

[MsLeFever]

Oh I LOVE Ikea.

Great furniture - and not at ALL expensive
Other neat decorating stuff, lamps, kitchen
Softgoods like pillows and curtains
A very good cafeteria and usually other goodies
A kid's place to play with a ball pit (my kids love it)
Lots of rooms set up so that you can pretend you live in them!

 

[Barbossa]

I second the prices. Very good quality furniture for half what you'd pay elsewhere.

 

[bavaria]

I often go just to buy European food, and bypass the furniture entirely

 

[Luv'sTink]

I don't get it either. It is not my type of store.

 

[diznygirl]

It's the meatballs.

 

[bavaria]

It's the meatballs.

I'm a veggie but my buddy who often goes with me buys tons of frozen meatballs every time.

I stock up on Daim bars and Daim candy and ginger cookies. And the cinnamon rolls - only place I eat those in North America!

 

[MsLeFever]

oh - and my freaky DH likes to grab a catalog and sit (fully clothed) on the potties in the "demo" rooms.

 

[kctwinmommy]

They do have a lot of inexpensive things there. I get a lot of dish towels and linen type things there very cheap. Plus, my favorite part is the drop off child play center!! I found out about this back in June, but they have to be a certain age/size and potty trained! My DH was in the middle of a 16 day trip out of town, so that 90 minutes I got alone was worth the drive for sure!

As far as people lining up for the opening... they always give away big gifts to the first person, something to the second, etc... I don't remember what, but I thought it was likst $500 gift card or something.

 

[kribit]

Could care less about the furniture...bring on the meatballs.

 

[bavaria]

and the $1 breakfast

 

[lucas]

The new store in Sunrise, FL opens tomorrow (Wed) and people have been lining up since Monday morning.

 

[beckanoah]

I LOVE IKEA. Wish there was one near here.

 

[RitaZ.]

I've never been to an IKEA because they don't have a store where I live. I knew it was popular, but never paid much attention.

Tommorrow there's an IKEA opening not far from where I live and there are news reports, and people camping out for the opening! I've never seen such thing for a furniture store.....or any store that I can remember.

Why the hoopla?

You must live near Sunrise, right?

I'm curious about IKEA. I'll definitely check it out when the craziness dies down. I heard on the news something about shuttling people from the Bank Atlantic Center to the store. I feel for the people that live or have to drive in that area.

 

[bavaria]

as a result of this thread I now need to make an Ikea run later this week - Daim bars aren't sold as far south as Bavaria so need to stock up when I can!!!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I'm a veggie but my buddy who often goes with me buys tons of frozen meatballs every time.

I stock up on Daim bars and Daim candy and ginger cookies. And the cinnamon rolls - only place I eat those in North America!

You associate with people who eat meatballs? I'm shocked!!!

What's a Daim bar?

 

[bavaria]

oooooooooh what's a Daim bar??? it's like a Skor bar but one million times better with more and better chocolate.

It comes in small candy size as well as bars; my roommate in Germany used to have her mother mail then and then she put them in the cupboard and NEVER ate them, so every weekend while she was away I would sneak her cigarettes, peach schnapps, and Daim. (Fun times when I am by myself.... )

I could replace the cigarettes and schnapps, but Daim isn't sold in Bavaria (too far from Scandinavia) so I was caught...

I still feel guilty whenever I buy them but the chocolate takes care of the guilty feelings.

Only seen at Epcot and Ikea in North America!

(Oh, and Mr Meatball also makes French Canadian meat pies )

 

[bumbershoot]

I'm a veggie but my buddy who often goes with me buys tons of frozen meatballs every time.

We're veggie too, but I will always get a bowl with just potatoes (have to state clearly "no gravy") for something like 90 cents.


I like Ikea b/c they have some good stuff and fairly inexpensive prices. I'm not into fancy furniture or really bulky stuff, and I like the more streamlined stuff. So we have a ton of bookshelves from them, coffee table, dressers, soooo many items. I don't like their kitchen stuff much anymore, but when I was younger I REALLY liked it, and it was so inexpensive that I could switch it out if I wanted to do so.

Now. There's no possible way I would be going there for an opening weekend. Week. Month. 6 months. That's probably right, I'd go around 7 months after it opened. On a Wednesday. We were silly enough to go on a Saturday a few months ago, and I was painfully reminded (by the crowds) why I never ever go on a weekend.

I would hate the store if my first impression of Ikea were on an opening crowd day.

Plus, they almost never *raise* their prices on things (items that are classic tend to come DOWN in price as they figure out better ways to make the items), so, well, I have never hurt my wallet by waiting to buy something.

I personally think that media-hyped events make a place less attractive, so by going later, you might be able to see it for what it is, not just as a gathering place for the madding crowds.

 

[moon]

Thanks for the replies!

Rita, yes, I live somwhere around Sunrise

I'll have to check it out, but I'll wait. I might have waited line (for one night) if I had the chance to get a $500.00 gift certificate, but to late for that now, so there's no hurry.

But I'm curious about the furniture....and the food

 

[CPM]

I've been waiting for the Sunrise store to open!!

I just love all the stuff in there. It's kind of different. I've never bought any furniture, mostly because there weren't any close enough to lug furniture out of the store and down the east coast.
But, lots of pictures, garden supplies, dishes, lighting, frames and more!