Let’s admit that most of our errands make up the majority of shopping trips. A trip to Ikea, on the other hand, is an exciting experience. This Swedish brand is most renowned for its modern, low-cost furnishings, but it has much more to offer. From the model apartments that improbably compress everything into 400 square feet to the amazing selection of delicacies in the Swedish Food Market, there’s plenty to see and do in each massive store. Many folks plan a trip for an entire afternoon to take it all in.
However, these massive stores might be daunting rather than exhilarating for some people. If a trip to Ikea leaves you feeling lost and adrift in a sea of sofas, a little forethought is all you’ll need to get back on solid ground.
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Preparing ahead of time and shopping intelligently will help you save money, and time, and get the most out of your Ikea visit. If you’re interested to know how then make sure to keep reading!
1. In 2022, you can expect prices to inflate
Supply-chain issues and inflation affect all retailers, big and small. Ikea recently announced that, as a result of soaring shipping and raw material costs, it will raise prices by an average of 9% in 2022. Until now, Ikea has resisted passing on rising costs to customers, but it had also battled to keep popular items on the shelf in its locations throughout the world.
2. Make a grocery list before going to IKEA
Make a list before you go if you’re looking for specific Ikea products you’ve seen in the catalog or on the website. This makes it simple to recall what you want and the product names you’re looking for.
The website of Ikea provides a favorites list option for customers that makes constructing your list easier. Create an account on Ikea.com or the Ikea Store App to begin. To add a product to your list, simply click the heart icon in its listing.
When you open your list, it displays all of the item numbers and details for the items you’ve chosen. It also totals all of their rates to help you stay on track with your particular budget.
3. Measure your space first
If you’re buying a huge piece of furniture, make sure you measure your area first so you know how much you can fit. When you get to the store, measure the things — or check the dimensions on the tags — to make sure they’ll fit.
Of course, measurements alone do not indicate how an item will seem in your area. There’s an app for that, thankfully. You may upload a photo of your room to the Ikea Place app, then visually insert a three-dimensional representation of an Ikea object into the space. The models are accurate in size, so you can see how your potential purchase will blend in with its new surroundings. And if you need an Ikea courier partner, ANC delivers has truck delivery truck drivers that can help transport your items right at your door, you can check them here at ancdelivers.com.au.
4. Before you go shopping, check their stocks
Products fly off the shelves at Ikea, especially as supply-chain concerns continue to plague the furniture sector, and there’s nothing more frustrating than making the journey just to find that what you wanted is out of stock. Before you go to the store, check stock levels online to determine if the item you want is available at any of the locations you choose.
5. Use the Ikea moving assistance program
Are you relocating to a new home? Then you should definitely visit Ikea. Ikea has a New Mover program to assist these consumers, which includes recommendations, ideas, and (most importantly) a coupon for $25 off your next $250 or more purchase. (This discount is only valid in shops; it does not apply to Ikea.com.)
6. Register for Ikea Family
Sign up for Ikea Family, the company’s loyalty program, before you go shopping. Though the name suggests that this program is for families with children, it actually refers to being a member of the store’s “family,” which entitles you to exclusive discounts.
Your Ikea Family card comes with a number of benefits, including:
- Every month, there are special discounts on select Ikea products.
- Each excursion includes a free coffee or tea at the Ikea restaurant.
- Each time you visit Ikea, you may enter to win a $100 Ikea gift card by scanning your card at the checkout or at an in-store kiosk.
- You’ll receive emails with incentives, inspiration, and a birthday surprise.
- Free in-store events with home furnishing ideas, advice, and techniques
- When you scan your Ikea Family card at checkout, you’ll get 90 days of price protection on all your purchases.
- Smaland provides more playtime for your children.
Ikea Family can be joined for free online or at an in-store kiosk.
7. Get your inspiration photos ready
When it comes to images, don’t expect to be able to access your online photo collection while shopping. Ikea’s huge warehouses typically have “slim to zero mobile reception.”
So, if you have an online mood board or Pinterest page that you use for inspiration, save it while you still have access to the Internet. When you’re faced with a large selection of chairs or cabinets, you can look through your images to determine which ones match your vision.
8. Choose the best shopping day
Ikea, like other stores, is busiest on weekends. Most stores, however, define “busy” as slightly more packed than typical. It appears to be complete chaos at Ikea. The aisles are jam-packed with consumers and large carts, and it’s easy to get swept up in the swarm and carried straight past your objective.
Plan your visit to Ikea during a weekday to avoid the crowds. According to Fox News, consumers and employees agree that Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are the least busy days of the week, especially about half an hour after opening.
If you must travel on a weekend, plan to arrive around 6 p.m. Many weekend shoppers leave the store shortly before closing time.
9. Examine the design
Each Ikea store is divided into four zones:
Showroom. This area, usually on the top floor if the store has many levels, is where Ikea exhibits all of its fully completed furniture. Rooms in the house are divided into categories such as living room, bedroom, and office. Ikea provides model rooms and even full apartments to show how its furniture items work together, in addition to showcasing collections of couches and tables.
Marketplace. Smaller design items, such as cushions, carpets, tableware, lighting fixtures, and window treatments, are found in this section. There are plenty of treats to grab and stuff into your cart on shelves and boxes.
Self-Serve. All of the large furniture items on your shopping list will be neatly packed in flat-box shapes in this location. To make it easier to find your boxes, everything in the showroom has a tag that tells you where to find it in the self-serve section.
Checkout. Finally, you pay for your products at a vast bank of checkout aisles. Prepare to spend some time there, as even at the least popular periods, queues can be fairly long.
These areas are located in various locations across each Ikea shop and are organized in various ways. Before you go, educate yourself on the layout of your local store to figure out where you’re going.
10. Keep an eye on the tags
See something you like in the showroom on the second floor? The price tag contains all of the necessary information. It will tell you if alternative colours are available, the dimensions, and, most importantly, where you can pick up your item. Before you leave, make a mental note of the eight-digit item number, aisle number, and location number. The item number tells you whether the ubiquitous flat box you’ll be schlepping onto your cart is the proper one, and the last two numbers tell you where you need to go in the self-pickup area.
11. App for assistance visualizing
One of the most aggravating aspects of furniture buying is making large purchases before seeing how the pieces fit in your home. Ikea Place, an augmented-reality app that lets you “test out” scaled 3D replicas of its furniture in your own house, aims to eliminate this problem. It’s available for Android and iOS, and it enables you to look for Ikea items that are similar to other things you like.
12. Go early for returns
Ikea has a generous return policy, allowing you to return items for up to 365 days. You can receive a refund or an exchange as long as the item is in reasonable condition, so don’t be shy. What’s the catch? Returns are a simple take-a-number-and-wait process that can easily consume an afternoon if you visit during peak hours. If you don’t want to wait, go when the store opens, or at the very least on a weekday. If you’re ready to pay to avoid going back to the store, there are two more options: mail smaller things or plan a pickup for larger products.
We hope that this article can help you shop wisely at IKEA next time!
