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cormie · **Posted: 05-08-2009 , 11:50 PM** #8

Hi,
I run an Ikea pick up and delivery service on VanTasks.ie and from my experience, Ikea is good for some things and ok for others.

As far as getting a "sofa" or a "shelf" or a "table" goes, you probably wont find it much cheaper than in Ikea but if you want a top quality piece of furniture, you may be better off looking elsewhere.

The mechanical demonstrations in the Belfast store don't say much. They have one of a kitchen drawer opening and one of the sides is black from rubbing against the side of the unit with dust all around it. I suppose if it's in operation opening and closing for hours upon hours a day, this is still ok, but to be honest, the mechanical set up wouldn't really reflect the same circumstances of it being opened when you're in a rush, when it's overpacked and wont close properly, when you slam it closed, put too much weight in it etc etc. It also looks like the weights they have in the drawer is supported by the arm opening and closing it.

There is also a fair bit of cheap junk in Ikea, the kind you think you need, when you don't really.

I think if you take a visit, keep a clear head and don't get dragged into buying things you don't need. Know what you need and make sure it's quality is high enough to suit what you intend to use it for.

As far as things like Kitchens go, Ikea can be really good and you can get a decent quality kitchen for a great price.

Of course, if you want something unique and of superior quality and craftsmanship, Ikea is not the place to go and you'd be better off going to a cabinet maker or furniture designer.

Apart from the products themselves, it can be a nightmare shopping in Ikea. The staff have ALWAYS been friendly and helpful to me, but there is just not enough of them. I could be going in with shopping lists for a few different customers and I've spent hours there trying to find someone to chase something up and then having to go back and find somebody again when another item is in the wrong place, showing as in stock but not there etc. The prices can tend to change quite a bit too and the stock level system online can never really be relied on either. Even though most pieces are given an Aisle and Location number, some pieces will be out of place, or changed to a different location without the website having changed and as for the smaller items in the Market Hall, it's a stress inducer to the highest order if you go in with a shopping list. It's just too big and not enough staff. Also, you can't get back into the warehouse easily from the market hall and have to walk around for ages to get back to where you were, even through the short cuts, it still takes ages.

Also note that if you're not able to lift heavy items that it wont be a pleasant experience as you have to go and pick and pack every item yourself and again, it might take you 10 minutes to find somebody available to help load it onto your trolley. Then of course you have to load it the right way or there will be a major delay at the till trying to scan the item at the bottom of the pile with 200kg of items on top of the barcode. If you forget a full serve item, they can't print it there at the till, you have to go back to the warehouse and get them to print it there and if you've already put your trolley through the till, you'll have to take them back into the warehouse trying to get the massive queue to excuse you and move out of the way. So then you might scan everything and realise the price is showing up way off, so will have to painfully check every price and code against your list. Then you'll have to wait another while for your full serve items and can then finally go about packing up.

As I said, it can be a nightmare to shop there, especially if you've a lot to get and under pressure. If you think you'll just be there for a short while, think again :) You really have to take all this into consideration when thinking of buying from Ikea and then of course there is the assembly aswell.

So if you don't mind the extra effort it's great, but if you have a lot to get, give yourself a lot of time and choose wisely.

	Posted: 05-08-2009 , 11:50 PM #8
cormie Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 346	Hi, I run an Ikea pick up and delivery service on VanTasks.ie and from my experience, Ikea is good for some things and ok for others. As far as getting a "sofa" or a "shelf" or a "table" goes, you probably wont find it much cheaper than in Ikea but if you want a top quality piece of furniture, you may be better off looking elsewhere. The mechanical demonstrations in the Belfast store don't say much. They have one of a kitchen drawer opening and one of the sides is black from rubbing against the side of the unit with dust all around it. I suppose if it's in operation opening and closing for hours upon hours a day, this is still ok, but to be honest, the mechanical set up wouldn't really reflect the same circumstances of it being opened when you're in a rush, when it's overpacked and wont close properly, when you slam it closed, put too much weight in it etc etc. It also looks like the weights they have in the drawer is supported by the arm opening and closing it. There is also a fair bit of cheap junk in Ikea, the kind you think you need, when you don't really. I think if you take a visit, keep a clear head and don't get dragged into buying things you don't need. Know what you need and make sure it's quality is high enough to suit what you intend to use it for. As far as things like Kitchens go, Ikea can be really good and you can get a decent quality kitchen for a great price. Of course, if you want something unique and of superior quality and craftsmanship, Ikea is not the place to go and you'd be better off going to a cabinet maker or furniture designer. Apart from the products themselves, it can be a nightmare shopping in Ikea. The staff have ALWAYS been friendly and helpful to me, but there is just not enough of them. I could be going in with shopping lists for a few different customers and I've spent hours there trying to find someone to chase something up and then having to go back and find somebody again when another item is in the wrong place, showing as in stock but not there etc. The prices can tend to change quite a bit too and the stock level system online can never really be relied on either. Even though most pieces are given an Aisle and Location number, some pieces will be out of place, or changed to a different location without the website having changed and as for the smaller items in the Market Hall, it's a stress inducer to the highest order if you go in with a shopping list. It's just too big and not enough staff. Also, you can't get back into the warehouse easily from the market hall and have to walk around for ages to get back to where you were, even through the short cuts, it still takes ages. Also note that if you're not able to lift heavy items that it wont be a pleasant experience as you have to go and pick and pack every item yourself and again, it might take you 10 minutes to find somebody available to help load it onto your trolley. Then of course you have to load it the right way or there will be a major delay at the till trying to scan the item at the bottom of the pile with 200kg of items on top of the barcode. If you forget a full serve item, they can't print it there at the till, you have to go back to the warehouse and get them to print it there and if you've already put your trolley through the till, you'll have to take them back into the warehouse trying to get the massive queue to excuse you and move out of the way. So then you might scan everything and realise the price is showing up way off, so will have to painfully check every price and code against your list. Then you'll have to wait another while for your full serve items and can then finally go about packing up. As I said, it can be a nightmare to shop there, especially if you've a lot to get and under pressure. If you think you'll just be there for a short while, think again :) You really have to take all this into consideration when thinking of buying from Ikea and then of course there is the assembly aswell. So if you don't mind the extra effort it's great, but if you have a lot to get, give yourself a lot of time and choose wisely.