Off Topic

[Elliot]

Just read a news article about a new Ikea store in North London. The store opened at midnight and was selling sofas at about £40 for people who turned up between midnight and 3am. Many people left their cars on a main road and walking to the store. Six people were taken to hospital after fighting started!!! The store closed after one hour. (www.skynews.co.uk (http://www.skynews.co.uk)).

[Gingerheid]

Can't imagine anyone getting that worked up about an Ikea!

They are cheap, but they do make you suffer for it!

There was one near where I used to bounce. Was very handy for taking bits of broken things back, and going in to see if they ever did manage to get things that needed to go together in stock at the same time. But just not a shop that I ever enjoyed going near...

[Elliot]

I hate the Ikea in Cardiff. It is impossible to find anything you want and also once you get in it takes about an hour to find the exit.

[Dave]

Thats the IKEA moto get em in and they cant leave.......

I link Ikea to a maze once your in you cant get out for hours unless you have been round the whole maze and seen everything in it......

[Elliot]

I think its stupid really the way the stores are set out.

[DJC]

Maybe stupid for the customers, but for the shop owners (note the British word shop, not store) it's brilliant. It's a customer bait-n-trap.

As for the stampede, it could have been expected I think. A shop in a deprived area, selling furniture for ridiculously cheap prices, of course they're going to flock...

[Gingerheid]

Are they all set out the same? So that you have to go up a flight of stairs the moment you get in the door, and them right back down again? Used to do my head in!

But of course, they are obviously doing something right, or we wouldn't be sitting here talking about them!

[Kelly Jordan]

There is one on the way to where i train (somewhere off the M6 on the way to Birmingham) been in twice it think - we're not keen Ikea shoppers lol - and yes it was that straight upstairs, round and round, then down and down, then up again, and out into the world!!!
Hate that place hehehe!!!

[Sue]

I've only been once - 15 years ago when I think there were only 2 in Britain! Went all the way round, bought some nice cheap wardrobes and units (which we still have) and then found that I lived 2 miles outside the free delivery area and had to pay over £50 to have everything delivered (if I hadn't travelled so far to start with I might have told them what to do with their furniture!) - haven't used them since.

[Crystal]

What worries me is that people actually sit in Ikea and have dinner.

[Anita]

I have to admit I've done that because the nearest Ikea from us is 2 hours' drive away at Lakeside. The food is really good and makes a change from having fast food. In that Ikea you go ... upstairs, round and round, downstairs, round and round and finally .... out!

[Lucy]

the canny shoppers amongst you should have noticed the shortcuts strategically placed all around the stores so you can skip bits of the guided route! I don't use them for anything other than what I can take away on the day (which, lets face it, is rare) as we were also stung by their delivery charges on a kitchen....we could take away the units there and then but not the doors!!! Has anyone else seen that there will be a rival to ikea soon...another swedish furniture company?