Ship of Fools: Navigating IKEA

Thread: Navigating IKEA Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by Moo (# 107) on :

In a few weeks I am going on a Senior Center trip. The first place we will go is IKEA, which does not interest me. I signed up for the trip because we are going someplace else afterwards, and I am very interested in that other place. I want to be able to walk around that other place freely.

I have serious nerve damage in my feet, which means there is a limit to how much walking I can do. I have been to this IKEA before (it's in Charlotte, NC), and I found myself walking through all kinds of departments that did not interest me at all. We will be at IKEA at lunch time, which means I have to walk to the restaurant; otherwise I would find a place to sit near the door and read my Kindle.

Is there anyway I can find a direct route to the restaurant and then back to the entrance? I went to a different IKEA with my daughter once, and she made a beeline for what interested her. I know all IKEAs are laid out to make you walk through everything. Does anyone know any shortcuts?

Moo

Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :

Moo--

I haven't been to Ikea (yet). But many kinds of stores have scooter chairs for people who have difficulty walking. They're free to use. Maybe call the store ahead of time, to make sure? I wonder if they could put one aside for you.

And I may be wrong, but I think there are store maps on the IKEA site, and in the stores.

Best of luck!

Posted by Lothlorien (# 4927) on :

I have often unintentionally found my way to IKEA restaurant when I was looking for toilets! There are maps, lifts too, and often shortcuts through archways etc.

Posted by saysay (# 6645) on :

I don't know that particular IKEA, but I frequently find the easiest way to navigate IKEA stores is to enter through the exit (you can frequently see the elevators or escalators that will take you where you want to go from there).

AFAIK all of the stores have shortcuts. If the arrows are instructing you to go right, you can usually go left and skip the meandering. Alternatively, look for somebody in a blue vest and ask them the fastest way to get to the restaurant.

Posted by Sioni Sais (# 5713) on :

Avoid the showrooms and especially the market zone. As has been suggested, find the restaurant (which in the IKEAs I know best are close to the way in and way out) get a coffee or two and read an Improving Book about anything that doesn't involve Allen keys and cam bolts.

Posted by Welease Woderwick (# 10424) on :

Certainly my one experience of an IKEA store [multiple visits to the one at Warrington UK] the restaurant is right by the entrance and it is easy to use without involving a ten mile hike round everywhere.

Posted by mousethief (# 953) on :

Take a left at Hämmerskvøldig then a sharp right around the Tügügürgen, then duck through the shortcut in the Zårvårkë department. A quick detour around the Minkinør and you're there!

Posted by Alan Cresswell (# 31) on :

[tangent, not unlike most directions within IKEA]
Anyone else see that the founder of IKEA has just paid income tax in Sweden for the first time since 1973?
[/tangent, which in a store leaves you somewhere you didn't want to be]

Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :

I remember being at the opening of the Croydon store in London UK. We were herded (and my God, was it crowded!) along an interminable route through every department of the store. I left in a filthy temper. Don't do crowds very happily, and this was claustrophobic as well. So why did I go? With friends....

But now, store maps and shortcuts mean you don't have to suffer. Follow the advice given on this thread and you will be able to turn torture to relative pleasure. Especially if you like the meatballs.

Posted by Uncle Pete (# 10422) on :

I was last in Ikea in 1992. Left quickly and I suspect this was before they had restaurants. Definitely no place to sit down. Fast food restaurants have never interested me, anyway. Still have the two pieces I bought there. Think it took about 20 minutes.

PS Do they give you an Allen wrench to assemble your own lunch? Just curious...

[ 03. November 2015, 12:28: Message edited by: Uncle Pete ]

Posted by Baptist Trainfan (# 15128) on :

I went to the original London one not long after it opened. It certainly had a restaurant then (with meatballs), also a hard-to-find short cut.

My son enjoyed going to the children's "ball room" although it was always vastly over-subscribed which meant long waits for parents.

Posted by Jengie jon (# 273) on :

No they had restaurants back in the late 1980s. That was when I used to go to the Runcorn one.

Jengie

Posted by Ferijen (# 4719) on :

My local ones has the restaurant quite close to the entrance (and to the stairs) and the restaurant is signposted from the beginning away from the 'flow' of the traffic.

A good tip to look for the toilets - they are all (in my store) close to food areas.

Its peculiarly British, but this song is a must for such an occasion...

Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :

[Big Grin]

Posted by Wesley J (# 6075) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Alan Cresswell:
[tangent, not unlike most directions within IKEA]
Anyone else see that the founder of IKEA has just paid income tax in Sweden for the first time since 1973?
[/tangent, which in a store leaves you somewhere you didn't want to be]

That headline isn't as sensational as it appears. The man simply didn't live in Sweden, but in Switzerland from 1973 to 2014, where he also paid taxes. He returned to Sweden after the death of his second wife (see also Wiki and other sources).

Posted by Alan Cresswell (# 31) on :

Yes, I was aware of that, I expect he paid less tax in Switzerland than he would have in Sweden (a Swedish friend who used to work here, and regularly took the train to Sendai for his pilgrimage to IKEA, said that everywhere had lower taxes than Sweden) although that may not have been his reason for moving.

I wasn't planning to have a big discussion on it though (you may have guessed that from the jokey tangent tags).

Posted by Piglet (# 11803) on :

quote:
Originally posted by mousethief:
Take a left at Hämmerskvøldig then a sharp right around the Tügügürgen, then duck through the shortcut in the Zårvårkë department. A quick detour around the Minkinør and you're there!

FWIW, in my experience, the restaurants are quite often fairly near the entrance, possibly up a flight of stairs.

Good luck! [Smile]

Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :

quote:
Originally posted by mousethief:
Take a left at Hämmerskvøldig then a sharp right around the Tügügürgen, then duck through the shortcut in the Zårvårkë department. A quick detour around the Minkinør and you're there!

You've finally reached the köttbullar!
[Yipee]

(in obedience of the Ship rules, "köttbullar" means "meatballs.")

Posted by Moo (# 107) on :

I successfully navigated IKEA today. I got a map of the store and went straight to the restaurant. After I had eaten I found a comfortable sofa and read my Kindle for two hours.

Following the map, I went to the housewares department. I was looking for a very large bag clip. I have one which is about six inches long, and I would like at least one more. They had smaller clips but no big ones.

The trip was a success because my feet were in very good shape when I left IKEA.

Moo

Posted by Mamacita (# 3659) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Moo:
I successfully navigated IKEA today. I got a map of the store and went straight to the restaurant.

Moo

I hope you had the Swedish meatballs!

Posted by Drifting Star (# 12799) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Moo:
...After I had eaten I found a comfortable sofa and read my Kindle for two hours

...

The trip was a success ...

Moo

Any trip is a success if it involves two hours of reading in a comfortable spot!

Posted by jacobsen (# 14998) on :

Not to mention unlimited refills of (admittedly rather weak) coffee.

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