Ikea is NOT the Pregnant Woman's Friend

[amjon]

I decided to stop in Ikea on the way home from the MFM today. I know how big they are, but also know the nursery section is at the very end of the first floor that you can go backwards and get to it right away. I went and looked around and almost bought something, but then I tried to get out. Oh my gosh! I swear it is the labyrinth from hell. You have to walk all the way through the whole bottom level to get out and at this point with twins I can barely walk as it is. I tried going back down the elevator I came up, but they wouldn't let you. I finally had the lady in the day care area let me out. She asked why I couldn't walk around. Have you seen the size of my belly! We won't be going there again until after the boys get here for sure! (And to think I thought Wal-Mart was bad. At least there you can go to the section you want and then leave.)

 

[katsbump]

She asked why you couldn't walk around, what a beyatch. That being said, I've been dying to go to ikea and look at nursery stuff, maybe I should rethink...

 

[Jess137]

The closest Ikea to me is in Chicago...so I've never been. I had heard that you have to walk through the whole store to get out though. That would drive me crazy!

 

[amjon]

The closest Ikea to me is in Chicago...so I've never been. I had heard that you have to walk through the whole store to get out though. That would drive me crazy!

I wasn't crazy about it before I was pregnant, but at least I could walk without being in pain/ feeling exhausted. I hadn't been there in ages though and remembered I could cut through to that section on the top level and figured I would just go down the way I came up. Nope, have to go through the whole bottom. The layout has kept me out of the store before. They really should change it so you can run in and get what you need without having to go through the whole store.

 

[lily28]

Ikea is tiring, pregnant or not, this is fact. I got a few pieces of furniture for the nursery, but thankfully no one said anything about taking the elevator down from the display etc. The particular lady sounds like a biatch... Thumbs down and I would have complained.
A lovely guy employee helped me with finding all the stuff I needed and loaded them on my trolley. They delivered and assembled everything promptly too. I have no complains from my local Ikea.

 

[Piper84]

Ikea is a pretty unsympathetic place when you scratch the surface - meatballs with horsemeat in them, production in cheap third world countries, they even used political prisoners in the 80s to produce some of their furniture.

Most of their furniture is also of pretty poor quality. We decided we're not gonna buy anything for LO from Ikea this time round as it doesn't last and you have to buy it again from somewhere else anyway.

 

[Amour]

Yeah Ikea do that on purpose so u have to see everything they have for you to buy more stuff!

 

[Mum2BKW]

I love Ikea meatballs.....

But yes, it is a labyrinth and so exhausting even without being pregnant! I'm surprised they weren't more helpful towards you though, have you considered contacting the manager to let them know?

 

[CupcakeBaby]

Ours is the same layout, drives me mad. Even when you know the shortcuts you can;t get in and out in under an hour really, so I won't be back there for a long time now.

 

[Abz1982]

All ikea are like that. When I was 25 I got lost (yes I know!) in our closest one and my then OH found me sitting on a chair almost crying................I hate confusing places like that

 

[summer rain]

Ikea are a bit evil loool. But at the cheaper end of the scale their products are better quality for the price than other shops also their sofas generally are way better than other places for a third of the price. But yep they aren't as family or baby friendly as they like to make out. I got pretty much kicked out of their cafe when my youngest was very small and crying, after complaining I got a £10 gift card and a free meal voucher but still not good. I also asked their staff to help me push a really heavy sofa to the van OH was driving when I was less than 6 weeks post natal after having my eldest. I said to them I had recently had a baby and they said it wasn't their job to help customers regardless! Xx

 

[Rah]

There is a plus side to them making you walk round the entire shop though...
When I was in early labour with dd I kept refusing to walk so hubby took me there lol I had no choice or id be giving birth there ha ha did look odd though leaning through contractions in random departments ha ha

 

[rowleypolie]

I have never been. We have plans of going this weekend. I need a dresser for the new baby. Thanks for the heads up. I had no idea what to expect.

 

[Annie77]

It's a marketing ploy. Think of your local tesco/asda/Walmart etc - none of them have the daily essentials like milk, bread, nappies etc near to the door. They make you walk the length and breadth of the store just buy stuff for breakfast or packed lunches! Also the clock (if there is one) is tiny and all the expensive options are placed on shelves at eye level.
I quite like ikea but we can go straight up to nursery dept using the lift then down to warehouse.

 

[amjon]

It's a marketing ploy. Think of your local tesco/asda/Walmart etc - none of them have the daily essentials like milk, bread, nappies etc near to the door. They make you walk the length and breadth of the store just buy stuff for breakfast or packed lunches! Also the clock (if there is one) is tiny and all the expensive options are placed on shelves at eye level.
I quite like ikea but we can go straight up to nursery dept using the lift then down to warehouse.

They do have many of those things near the front in our stores. The grocery section is all on one side of the store, so you can pop over there grab what you need and get out without walking the entire store. Same with non-grocery items. If i know I need light bulbs or something I pop in the garden center door and it's not far to that section, check out there and don't have to go anywhere near the grocery section. They also have three doors (actually four, almost forgot the car center door which you can go in and check out over there) you can enter and exit from with different sections near each. Ikea has ONE door and has no passage from the middle of the store to the entrance/ exit. Once you're in you're stuck until you go through the WHOLE store. I think that makes a huge difference. Walking the length of the store to grab something is different than having to weave through every section of the store to get out. I consider putting things at eye level etc. to be normal and not a problem for anyone with mobility issues. FORCING you to go through the whole store is a completely different issue and is not appropriate for those with disabilities (either temporary or permanent) that can't handle walking for that amount of time.

 

[JenX]

The only bearable way to shop at Ikea for me is to go online and pick out what I want ahead of time, write down the locations of everything I want in the warehouse part, and then skip the showrooms altogether. Otherwise, like you described, it is like being caught in a maze.

 

[Annie77]

It's a marketing ploy. Think of your local tesco/asda/Walmart etc - none of them have the daily essentials like milk, bread, nappies etc near to the door. They make you walk the length and breadth of the store just buy stuff for breakfast or packed lunches! Also the clock (if there is one) is tiny and all the expensive options are placed on shelves at eye level.
I quite like ikea but we can go straight up to nursery dept using the lift then down to warehouse.

They do have many of those things near the front in our stores. The grocery section is all on one side of the store, so you can pop over there grab what you need and get out without walking the entire store. Same with non-grocery items. If i know I need light bulbs or something I pop in the garden center door and it's not far to that section, check out there and don't have to go anywhere near the grocery section. They also have three doors (actually four, almost forgot the car center door which you can go in and check out over there) you can enter and exit from with different sections near each. Ikea has ONE door and has no passage from the middle of the store to the entrance/ exit. Once you're in you're stuck until you go through the WHOLE store. I think that makes a huge difference. Walking the length of the store to grab something is different than having to weave through every section of the store to get out. I consider putting things at eye level etc. to be normal and not a problem for anyone with mobility issues. FORCING you to go through the whole store is a completely different issue and is not appropriate for those with disabilities (either temporary or permanent) that can't handle walking for that amount of time.

Seems things in US are very different from UK then. Our ikea only has one door in and one door out but there are lifts and shortcuts which you can take or alternatively you can go in via warehouse and just pick up what you need.
Our grocery stores are a nightmare - my friend works for coca cola and hence my knowledge of their marketing methods in UK stores. Cocacola pay for the stores to place their products at eye level. The milk and bread in my two local stores are at the very far end so you need to walk/wheel yourself through the entire store as they also only have one door in & out. I work with disabled people & often shop with them so am fully aware of how tiring they find it over in UK.

 

[yoshy]

Sounds like Ikea is completely different from country to country...
I love going to Ikea here. There are shortcuts you can go through to skip things if you need to, and the staff are SO helpful with anything you need!
Generally in Israel customer service totally sucks, but in Ikea, they're awesome!
And there are always really nice guys working in the warehouse section who can help with getting things down if you have trouble. We went before we moved, and it was great!
Admittedly my feet were kinda killing me by the time we were done, but it was my own choice to walk through the whole place. DH would have happily taken the shortcuts, but I love walking through the whole place... hehe
(Also because the restaurants are kosher, and have supervision, there's no danger of horse meat in the meatballs or anything like that...)

And I've always found that the quality of their furniture is fine for the most part. My parents have been going to Ikea (in England before we moved to Israel) for almost 30 years, and they still have furniture that they've had since they got married, which is still in great condition (despite having moved house five times (three of the five were within the space of five years...)

 

[thethomsons]

Funny I was in same position in IKEA the other day and very frustrated at the MASSIVE detour had to do to exit the store. Actually made me feel bit claustrophobic!