Tips for Surviving IKEA

In honor of Elizabeth’s trip to IKEA yesterday, I’d like to share with you my tips for surviving your own trip to the home products retailer as it poses some very special issues.

1. Pre-shop online.  This is probably my best tip, so I’m sharing it first.  If you haven’t been to one before, be prepared to be overwhelmed no matter how well you’ve prepared.  IKEA is ginormous.  Seriously huge.  If you go without having checked out what’s available via the website, you may be disappointed in what you find.  While they do usually have some things in the stores that aren’t online, the online offerings are a great representation of their products.  How this tip worked for me: I wanted a new table for our breakfast nook.  I looked at IKEA’s offerings online, measured how much space the ones I liked would take up, and narrowed it down to two choices.  At the store, we checked out both (and looked at the rest I’d weeded out as well – just to be sure), and, after sitting down at each, the choice was obvious.  We’re very satisfied with my pick.

2. Start early.  I read about the crowds from folks online – and they’re not wrong.  We arrived about 15 minutes before the store opened to have breakfast.  The three of us ate for less than $8!  I’m talking bacon, eggs, potatoes, juice, and a cinnamon roll.  Sometimes they’ll even offer FREE breakfast, so you might get an even better deal there.  As soon as we were finished, we hit the show rooms.  By the time we were through them (it took us about 45 minutes) and headed downstairs to the marketplace, the place was getting slammed.  We were so grateful we showed up early.

3. Follow the arrows.  IKEA has already mapped out the best way for you to get through their stores.  Start at the top in the of the store in the show rooms.  If you start in the right place, you’ll find pencils and paper to help you keep track of what you want and where to find it in the marketplace and self-serve section.  Then, as you spot things you want, write them down, along with their location.  For furniture, you’ll see an aisle and bin number; make sure to write down both so you can locate it later.  If you want something really big (like a mattress or sofa), write down all the info and take it to an IKEA employee in the self-serve area.  He or she will make sure it’s in stock and give you what you need to purchase the item.  You’ll then pick it up after checkout.  (If you’re shopping with someone else, you might ask your buddy to go stand in line to pick up the bulk item while you wait in the checkout line.)

4. Take some muscle with you if shopping for furniture.  The furniture is shockingly well packed, so that means you can buy a fair amount of it even if you don’t have a truck or SUV.  That’s good news for me, but it’s bad news for my friends.  Why’s that?  I’m a wimp, and I can’t lift much weight.  That means I drag friends along to help me drag the stuff into my car.

5. Try to avoid visiting with your significant other.  You’ll notice I’ve mentioned that I visited IKEA with my friends and not my husband.  My husband hates crowds and despises shopping, especially shopping for decorative items.  If it’s not functional, he thinks it’s a waste of money.  If your significant other is the same way, your relationship will be better off if you tell him/her, “Hey, I’m going to IKEA.  I plan to purchase a bench, a table, new plates, and some decorative items.  Guess what – you’re off the hook for shopping!  You just have to help me put stuff together when I get back.”  You’ll both be happier for it if you do it this way.  Trust me.

6. Don’t forget to check out the as-is room.  I’ve read about people finding some amazing deals in the as-is room.  Some people go there first, and it’s really not a bad idea.

7. Make sure you’ve found all the components that you need for whatever you’re buying.  It’s my understanding that the lamps often require special bulbs, so you should check that before you leave so you don’t have to repeat the experience just to get a couple of light bulbs.  Also, a friend of mine recently purchased an entertainment center that looks as though you could mount a flat panel tv on it; when they got home, it turned out that they should’ve also purchased a mounting kit if they wanted to mount the tv.

8. Take a book, iPhone, or Blackberry along for entertainment at the checkout.  Even if you’ve had a good experience up until the point where it’s time to check out, those lines can get pretty ridiculous.  And, if you’ve already resigned yourself to paying for your selections, you don’t need to spend your wait time second guessing those choices.

9. Put your new stuff together only when you have plenty of patience.  The things we bought were incredibly simple to put together.  That said, you should always wait until you’re not particularly stressed or angry about anything so that you have a better chance of not getting frustrated or tired while putting together your new stuff.

Do you have any additional tips for surviving IKEA?  Have you tried any of these tips before or wish you’d tried them?