skymama 37 #1 November 14, 2007 People have camped out for 2 days for the opening of IKEA in Orlando today. I don't get this, it's a store. It's going to be open for years! They're not even giving away anything free to the first people in line. I don't get it. Have any of you ever done something like this before? What's the big deal about IKEA anyway?She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man, because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mnealtx 0 #2 November 14, 2007 Extreme shopping? Other than bragging rights, I agree with you. IKEA seems to be pretty popular with the yuppie-types...Mike I love you, Shannon and Jim. POPS 9708 , SCR 14706 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eeneR 3 #3 November 14, 2007 Ikea has neat cheep furniture. LOTS of neat home accessory stuff CHEAP. But I would not camp out over night for an opening unless they were giving $1m to the first 100 customers or something She is not a "Dumb Blonde" - She is a "Light-Haired Detour Off The Information Superhighway." eeneR TF#72, FB#4130, Incauto Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
misskriss 0 #4 November 14, 2007 I saw that on the news and couldn't believe it. We had been planning on going to see if we could find anything cool but I think we'll pass now. No need in getting trampled to death just yet. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 37 #5 November 14, 2007 I just heard on the morning news that IKEA is spending $11,000 on security today. Yeah, I can wait to go see it too!She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man, because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TrophyHusband 0 #6 November 14, 2007 when ikea opened in portland earlier this year, there were people camped out for 2 or 3 days as well. the opening seemed to be the main story in the papers and tv news for the week leading up to it. i don't understand all of the excitement over particle board furniture. i'm excited the i've nearly rid my house of particle board furniture. "Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama www.kjandmegan.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pinkfairy 0 #7 November 14, 2007 IKEA is a sweedish phenomenon that rapidly spread to Norway. Being norwegian, I'm of course familiar with it. Nearly all my furniture is from IKEA, and I love my IKEA Sultan mattress. The big deal about IKEA is that they sell furniture with low profit, but watch out for all the candlesticks, caseroles and other small stuff, that's where they make their money. Putting together the furniture can be a challenge for some, especially if they have a design flaw that makes pushing and pulling necessary, but it's usually just a question of RTFM. And that can definetely be challenging, especially for men, who are most often assigned the task of putting together flat furniture. I'm sure there is an entire class of swearwords that's only used when assembling IKEA goods. As for the warehouse itself, if you're unfamiliar with it, you might find this walkthrough helpful: http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/how_to/the_nonexpert_ikea.php (this is a parody of game walkthroughs, and you'll find it funny once you've been at IKEA) Also, remember to eat during the visit. You'll most likely walk longer than you think, and will burn a lot of calories. Low blood sugar isn't good for the decision process. If you're going alone, you'll probably find sound insulating earphones a great relief. Listening to couples quarreling and children having tantrums isn't that much fun. Good luck! Relax, you can die if you mess up, but it will probably not be by bullet. I'm a BIG, TOUGH BIGWAY FORMATION SKYDIVER! What are you? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
micduran 0 #8 November 14, 2007 I was at IKEA in Atlanta on opening day (not my choice). I still have nightmares. They do have nice stuff; some quality, some not. Be patient with the faults of others; they have to be patient with yours. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pinkfairy 0 #9 November 14, 2007 QuoteThey do have nice stuff; some quality, some not. Treat it nice, and it will last long. I have a friend who used to move alot, and he used to take down his IKEA furniture and collapse it into the flat state, and then reassemble it. That wore it out quickly. Yeah, and of course, they have some real plastic items, and those won't last long.Relax, you can die if you mess up, but it will probably not be by bullet. I'm a BIG, TOUGH BIGWAY FORMATION SKYDIVER! What are you? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cocheese 0 #10 November 14, 2007 It's a cry for help. These people need to take their own lives, but they would rather have us do it for them. Lazy suicidal people. Hmm Maybe we should open up a "Kevorkian Are Us" store and see who is dying to get in. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LisaM 0 #11 November 14, 2007 OOOOOH IKEA! I want one! I would not camp out, but you bet I would be estatic if we got one here! ~ Lisa ~ Do you Rigminder? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ltdiver 3 #12 November 14, 2007 We had an IKEA store here in a nearby town, Fontana, oh about 20 years ago. Made a great little 'date-evening' stroll for college couples to start their dreaming of life after graduating....However, the store was there just a tad premature and a few years later it closed! Wish it was still here, as the housing boom has literally taken over the place, as people spread out from the high cost of Los Angeles. IKEA would have made a MINT here if they had! My kitchen table and china hutch are from IKEA. Solid wood and beautiful. After so many years I still get comments about how nice they look. Enjoy your store, after the rush of opening. It's a fun store to browse through... ltdiver Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NWFlyer 2 #13 November 14, 2007 Oh hell no. I won't even camp out for the big REI annual sale and there's some serious discounts for that! As for Ikea stuff - there's a lot of cheap pressboard stuff, and there's a lot of stuff at a slightly higher price point that's actually pretty decent. I'm still using a coffee table and end table that I bought 10 1/2 years ago when I moved to Seattle, and I just sold the sofabed I bought at the same time (it hadn't aged quite as gracefully). People don't believe me when I tell them that the tables are from Ikea though. It's worth a visit, but wait till after the holidays, and go on a weekday during the day if you can. The one out here (which has been open at least as long as I've been out here) is still crazy-crowded on the weekends."There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simplyputsi 0 #14 November 14, 2007 Quote I was at IKEA in Atlanta on opening day (not my choice). I still have nightmares. They do have nice stuff; some quality, some not. What are you crazy???!!!! I've been in IKEA once, and only once!!!!! I was like I have no idea what the big deal is. Sure they have some nifty stuff, and it's not super expensive. Try getting help there though. Right right, grab a number and expect to wait, and wait, and wait. I was extremely dissapointed in the set up they have. If you're going to do something like that get more employees to help. But alas there is a saving grace for them. They have a web page, and I'm pretty sure you can order just about everything they offer from it. I had a friend who called me crazy for basically saying IKEA was a joke. Then he went to it a few months later and agreed that he probably would never step foot in the store again. Oh and just so peeps know. It's worse than a casino in there, as far as finding your way out.Skymama's #2 stalker - Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NWFlyer 2 #15 November 14, 2007 QuoteIf you're going to do something like that get more employees to help. More employees = higher prices. There's a method to their madness. You get what you pay for. It is crazy busy and pretty much self-service, which is why I don't go that often and when I do I try to go well outside of the peak hours."There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simplyputsi 0 #16 November 14, 2007 QuoteQuoteIf you're going to do something like that get more employees to help. More employees = higher prices. There's a method to their madness. You get what you pay for. It is crazy busy and pretty much self-service, which is why I don't go that often and when I do I try to go well outside of the peak hours. I don't see it that way being a former retail employee. You can actually have more employees and make more money, because more people are being helped. There is a fine line though for this. I can just say that when I was there they missed that fine line by a lot. Takes money to make money. Maybe they are just being cheap, too cheap.Skymama's #2 stalker - Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squirrel 0 #17 November 14, 2007 "slave to the ikea nesting instinct...." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hKIt1r2FOI ________________________________ Where is Darwin when you need him? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pre7117 0 #18 November 14, 2007 We had one open last year in Canton Michigan. They gave out chairs to the first few hundred people. They camped out for 5 days so they can get a free chair. The chairs sold for $65.00 each and people took time off work for a cheap chair. I cant understand what they are thinking. On the first day, the line of cars leading to the store was 5 miles long. People are so stupid HELLFISH 429 POPS 11113 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squirrel 0 #19 November 14, 2007 Quote People are so stupid please see my sigline...i totally agree. ________________________________ Where is Darwin when you need him? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymedic 0 #20 November 14, 2007 QuoteWhat's the big deal about IKEA anyway? Have you ever been to one? I drive 5 hours to our closest IKEA. The place ROCKS!!! Marc otherwise known as Mr.Fallinwoman.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pinkfairy 0 #21 November 14, 2007 QuoteI don't see it that way being a former retail employee. You can actually have more employees and make more money, because more people are being helped. There is a fine line though for this. I can just say that when I was there they missed that fine line by a lot. Takes money to make money. Maybe they are just being cheap, too cheap. You miss the idea. The whole business concept of IKEA is self service. Having salespeople actually trying to sell you things or giving you information about color choices on the sofa isn't like IKEA. The whole thing is built on some kind of a scandinavian "do it yourself" mentality. You pick out the stuff yourself, you then take it home with you in your car (most items fits easily in normal cars when flat), or even on the bus, as I have done many times, and when you're home you assemble it yourself. Without asking anybody and maybe even without reading the manual. The founder of IKEA felt that consumers wanted low prices and simplicity. So he cuts costs also in a way that's visible to the costumer, such as not having a lot of salespeople standing around. It's always been part of the marketing: do it yourself and save money. I have never had any problems getting help at IKEA. There are information desks, and you just go up and ask, instead of being followed around by people who ask if you need help.Relax, you can die if you mess up, but it will probably not be by bullet. I'm a BIG, TOUGH BIGWAY FORMATION SKYDIVER! What are you? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 37 #22 November 14, 2007 QuoteHave you ever been to one? I drive 5 hours to our closest IKEA. The place ROCKS!!! No, I've never been to one, that's why I asked what the big deal is.She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man, because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mnealtx 0 #23 November 14, 2007 Quote Quote Have you ever been to one? I drive 5 hours to our closest IKEA. The place ROCKS!!! No, I've never been to one, that's why I asked what the big deal is. Volvo: Boxy boring Swedish cars IKEA: Boxy boring Swedish furniture Mike I love you, Shannon and Jim. POPS 9708 , SCR 14706 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simplyputsi 0 #24 November 14, 2007 You miss my point. I never said sales people. I said employees who are there to help you. Not sell you. There is a big difference. I get the do it yourself idea. I thought it was a good idea until I went there. I wanted a particular mirror on display. Hmmm ok where would I find this. I'll ask, nope no one around, how bout over here nope no one around. Information desk??? Never saw one. The only employee I did manage to find was sick busy at a computer with a line of at least 5 people behind him/her. Like I said though, they have a webiste, but being as inexpensive as they are it's hard to make a purchase online for certain things, as you would like to see just how inexpensive it really is. It works, obviously, for a mass of people. I'm not that mass.Skymama's #2 stalker - Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelel01 1 #25 November 14, 2007 I wouldn't dare go to an Ikea even within a month of its opening, but I did just buy a cute kitchen table and chairs there for next-to-nothing. And it definitely feels like it's going to last. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
