For me, the most important tip is to go on a WEEKDAY. I know this might be hard for some people, but since I work weird hours and have to drive 90mins, I dont want to be rushed and surrounded by people too. My ma took a half day from work with me last time on a Wednesday and it was so quiet. We loved it!

I also like their "warehouse service" where you give them your list and they will get all the items for you. There is a small charge, but if you're getting lots of items, it might be worth it.

If you work full time and MUST shop on the weekend, I recommend going when the cafe opens (typically 1/2 hour before the store opens). You can browse the store and pick up items... then hit the cashier the moment they open to be first in line! If you plan your trip carefully and know exactly what you are there to get, you can be in and out in less than 1/2 hour.

These are great tips! I'd add that I find it really enjoyable to go to IKEA just to "window shop." I do that every so often, taking a notebook and pen to jot down ideas and products I might want to purchase LATER. At that time, I also note all the purchase info (aisle, bin, etc.). My rule is that I can't buy anything when I browse and the purchasing trips must be contained to 15-20 minutes - in and out so my husband is willing to help with the transport and assembly :)

Weekdays are indeed the key. They're busy the minute they open the doors here on the weekends. If you must do weekends, I find August to be a very quiet month. And I avoid the children's area like the plague.

I second the weekday comment. I work just a few minutes from the Schaumburg Ikea, and if I need something there I prefer to stop in during my lunch break. Though I did stop in once last year in January right after work and it was a surprising ghost town. Avoid the weekends, and especially avoid 'back to school' times.

Eat beforehand. Wandering around Ikea when you are hungry is a mistake.

While I have an Ikea within 3 miles of my home, I shop there only twice a year, or less, if I can help it. It's exactly this that keeps me away. It drives me crazy to try my best to beeline it through the maze, and there are plenty of customers who are happy to wander aimlessly through the narrow paths meandering around loads of products, so it's nearly impossible to just get in and get out with what you need, efficiently. Even Ikea's website now has me avoiding it. When you are on a product page, the lower section defaults to ridiculous "complementary", so-called products, instead of the measurements and other obviously needed info. Irks me every time. ..Ugh, glad I got that off my chest...I kinda feel better now.

Drop your kid off at childcare! Things always go faster when I don't have a five year old that wants to sit in every chair/couch/bed/etc. She loves being able to color and play with the toys and if she is good she gets a frozen yogurt as a treat.

Ikea has certainly been a life-saver for us as we begin to furnish our first place. However, the past few times we have made the trip, we leave the store declaring "Okay, THAT was definitely the LAST time we are going to IKEA." Aaand then of course a couple months later, we realize we need something...

But seriously, many of our fellow customers at the Seattle IKEA act like it's Black Friday or something-- especially on a weekend morning, ahhh! I was practically run over by a man barreling down the showroom aisle with his cart when I slowed down to allow a lady with small children to pass in front of me. People in IKEA can be scary.

Thanks for the great tips!

@LeslieInAZ That complementary thing bothers me too! I need measurements!! I also hate how you cant browse by size on their site. i was shopping for a certain length of shelf and I had to hover over each shelf one by one to see if they fit

that being said, I love going to ikea! Even if just for the hot dogs and frozen yogurt ;)

Definitely try to go on a weekday and get there when it opens. IKEA reminds me of an airport, and people walk so slowly through the showroom that it's hard to navigate. I go with a list, take the shortcuts, and don't spend time there. I find the experience suffocating. And I know for a fact that people take their children there when the weather is bad, because I've been invited to go. It's not a mall, but some people use it like one.

Just like to add to Tip #1. You can also check availability of an item on the website. It is updated previous evening, but it gives you an idea. When it says very low, you can call ahead to see when they will have new ones coming in.

I'd also group the list by departure, so that I don't have to go back and forth. You can use one of their computers to locate your items and mark them on the map.

When I'm shopping by myself in the marketplace, even if I'm only getting a couple small things, I always get a cart. That way I won't get ran over by larger groups of people. If I'm walking around with only the yellow bag, people are rude and will force *me* to move every time.

I'm a little puzzled at why someone would want to get out faster, to me it is fun to browse if I have the time.

Are only single people allowed to go shopping on rainy days? IKEA is happy to have families there, they spend more money as there are more people to shop for...

IKEA loves to have families there...the unfortunate thing about that is that I hate being in an IKEA when a billion families and their children. They sloooooowly meandering from section to section and clog up the aisles. I'm cranky about it, I know, but I hate being where there are lots of families. They just don't take into consideration that other people might want to get somewhere in the store.

That being said, my tip is to always use the shortcuts! Every IKEA has shortcuts from one section to another and you can avoid the outer ring where all the families want to congregate.

I know that there's a time and a place for an in-out IKEA job, but in my mind there are few pleasures greater than browsing around, checking out all the pretend homes and really enjoying the window shopping aspect of things.

Weekday visits are the only way I go to ikea. And, this is random, but what's up with the sideway carts!!! And, Grapey, I like your style lol! Great tips. Thanks.

http://diligentdesigner.blogspot.com/?m=0

Some Ikeas - at least my local one in Hicksville, Long Island - have a door straight to the Warehouse on the lower floor. It's small and not very visible, but once you know where it is, it's easy to skip the upper floor. My Ikea also has the frames, dishes, storage downstairs, not upstairs.

When I go to Ikea it's not only to purchase but to make a day out of it. I love Ikea and love to spend hours there just browsing. I doubt I could make a list, plan my route and leave.

Am I the only person that avoids Ikea like the plague?

If you must go on the weekend, go after 6 pm because the tour buses are usually leaving or have left by then.

My kid freaks out when I try to put him in childcare (only at IKEA...nowhere else). I know he would be fine after a few minutes, but the staff there won't take a crying kid. Agreed, mornings are the least crowded. I usually strap both kids into a cart and try to get in and out as quickly as possible. I use the printable shopping lists online, but by now I know that the "availability" thing may or may not be accurate. It has been way off the last few times I've counted on it.

Bring a child so you can park in the family parking lot! Mine are young enough to need strollers and such so it works out great and saves me parking in the back of the GIANT lot. We stop and play in the children's department so they are pretty happy to come with me. If I'm buying large furniture, I'll need help though!

Lilly,

I agree - maybe it's because I don't go all that often, but I really do think its fun!

Hey, I'm big fan of Ikea: to browse in the little small vignettes , and imagine that I live in one of those.... I just make sure my baby japanese snow monkey stays where he is supposed to stay: in Japan.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2012/12/19/toronto-ikea-monkey-owner-rally.html

I agree to this wholeheartedly. Yes, I know the shortcuts if I am just popping in to grab hangers or pillows, but I have been known to go and wander the showroom, when bored, just to get organization ideas and to people-watch.

I used to browse a lot more because I was looking at things that I could have probably/maybe afforded. Now that I've moved onto trying to acquire "real" furniture, I don't go to IKEA to browse anymore. I just go in, get what I need (usually a bookshelf), and get out. I have no patience for large crowds in confined spaces.

No, I try to avoid it whenever possible. Unfortunately, IKEA also charges a lot for shipping so online shopping (when available - IKEA needs to join the 21st century) isn't in the cards.

agree with adora, checking the availability and location saves loads of time.

while sometimes when you are considering big items it helps to stroll through and see them in room settings, other times you may only want a few specific things you already have seen and just want to get out.

Meh, I just smoke a bowl in the parking lot, take my time, and treat myself to some meatballs.

I have never been to Ikea... would love to... but it's probably a 2+ hour trip one way for me... Some day... and sorry I'll be one of those browsers! Think I'll make sure it's a weekday!!

I love going to stores on Christmas Eve since it's the day after the busiest shopping day and it's DEAD. We did Ikea this Christmas Eve as a 2-hour break from the family craziness, and it was wonderful... quiet... perfect.

Weekdays, plus going within 45 minutes of closing is my favorite trick. The last two times I've had to go to IKEA, I got in and out in under 30 minutes. I always check the website for availability and hit the inner ring as much as possible.

And I also tend to leave my husband at home, unless I absolutely need the extra pair of hands. Or I end up having to bribe him with Swedish meatballs.

Back when I had a girlfriend we once arrived 10 minutes before closing.

No showroom. Just up one set of stairs, down another, and straight to where we needed to be. By closing time we were paid up and leaving the store with new bedding.

Most times we go it winds up at least a 3 hour trip. This includes the 45 minutes you get in the kids ballroom which won't even allow you to scour the Markethall and get to the check out in time before the Timer goes off telling you to get your child.

The sneaky part of the IKEA design is knowing how to get back out without having to go to the checkout. It involves a bit of elevator work b/c once you're in the Markethall, the gates that lead you in usually lock and you're trapped. Get to know their elevators.

I only to to Ikea on a weekday, go through the store backwards (I only shop from the marketplace), and I stop to look at the maps posted throughout the store and make short cuts to the section I need to be in.

Lately though, I try to avoid Ikea all together. Most of their stuff is so cheap and crappy that I feel like I am abusing the environment when I buy Ikea.

I, too, enjoy an Ikea trip - but I live in Portland Oregon, where it seems to be a mellower store. They had a certain kitchen cabinet door style on sale once so I bought as much as I'd need, though didn't have time to start the remodel for several months. So whenever I was in a different city with an Ikea, I'd go and check out their display area to see how the designers had incorporated that style; what color walls, floor, etc they used.

What I found was that many other Ikeas, especially in the Bay Area, were awful to be in. They were crowded, felt unclean, many of the display pieces (dressers, etc) were broken and derelict from overuse, etc. It was amazing how different those stores felt.

I have heard that Ikeas are franchises, so despite centralized organization, I guess the local management can make a big difference.

I've become convinced, too, that there are some kind of subliminals being played. Never in any other shopping situation have I experienced people being so happy just to be there. I've even found that on the weekends, which yes are much more crowded, it feels more like being at a fair than at an oppressive, crowded, noisy big-box store.

Best tip: don't shop at IKEA

The measurements are in the detail tab. they are trying to sell, showing what fits with this item IS the "obvious" information. (Like the showroom)

I love IKEA. I mix it with second hand stuff to not look like I am living in a showroom.
My tips are
-shop during weekdays. Even evenings are better then (except Friday evening and Monday morning when all the returns come in)
-get a map with the short cuts. use those.
-Don't get a cart. get a bag if at all to avoid over-shopping. Make a list.
-I always enter through the exit OR use the entrance and take the shortcut to the warehouse (usually next to the washrooms)

Wow! I never realized so many people had an issue with IKEA. Do you feel the same way when you shop other places? I love going there, and when I was commuting up to the Bay Area for a job, I'd go once a week after work. Cheap meatball dinner and meandering around to see what was there. It's all a part of the experience. Maybe some shoppers are just jaded...

I'm with you, 51 desks.

the "sideway carts" are a must when the stores have butt to bellybutton traffic! i love em

I go through the exit and straight for what I want--which is usually on the first floor :)

i agree with Lilly; my closest Ikea is 90 minutes away, but there is one within a 5 minute drive of my mom's house and i get her to take me there nearly every time i go to Toronto.

I don't feel the same about other stores but other stores aren't nearly as crowded like IKEA is most of the time. I've never had to plan an esca

*An escape route from other places before.

If you make a shopping list on the Ikea website, you can have your items sorted in the order in which they can be found in the warehouse, and then print the list. Making the list itself is a good way to streamline your shopping, especially since the website can tell you what's in stock at your selected store.

I would say, though, that since an Ikea opened near me, I've found the experience much more enjoyable--instead of making an annual trek, loading up on everything I could possibly need and much I really didn't, and hating my life all the while, I can pop in every other month or so, get the specific items I know I need (and maybe one or two impulse buys--come on, it's IKEA!), and leave without worrying that I am forgetting something critical or wasting the cost of a car rental for the day.

I have a pretty strict policy about not shopping in a store that I could not find my way out of in a bad situation, earthquake or whatever. I found Ikea to be that way several years ago...if I go again I need to know the way out. There did not seem to be good exit signs etc.

Shopping at the IKEA in Jerez, Spain is quite an adventure! It is jammed packed on the weekends and it makes it almost impossible to enjoy your trip. We try to go during an "American" holiday, which usually is a Monday and it is so empty and wonderful to shop or look around.

Typically, I make a list on the internet and know exactly what I want/need. For example, this Monday, we are heading there and I already have my list ready and the measurements of the tiny entry way I am trying to create (part of my January Cure project).

IKEA is a great place, but you have to be clear on what you NEED and not get distracted by their clever displays...like my husband does!

6-9pm on a Sunday night is not horrendous at my local store. I mean, it's still busy, but not completely packed and you can actually park fairly easily on the upper parking deck. So as I don't have time to drive there during the week (it's an hour away), that's the best time for me to go.

It's OK for some things but most of the modern design in IKEA is boring and bland. The whole Swedish look gets old quick. There really needs to be a big American store specializing in American modern which is much more exciting, stylish and warm.

Yes, what @lisamfb said! On the weekend, get there when the cafe' opens.

Since I need food to motivate me, I would add: Enjoy a cheap breakfast with free coffee refills. Then, with your list in hand, do your shopping and get out of there by 11 am.

We maker regular use of the "enter through the exit, use a shopping list" strategy at the Brooklyn Ikea. Also, if you are going at a time when lines are likely to be long and are going as a couple, split up the list and have one person get in line while the other person grabs the last few items.

@ jdoey, so true and an Excellent idea!!

I live 2 hours from the closest IKEA (Schaumburg, IL) and my friends and I enjoy our trips there three times a year on Saturdays. We arrive during the half hour before opening when the cafe is open so that we can plan our purchases. We take our lists, split up and shop, and meet back at the not-too-busy registers within an hour or two; eat lunch nearby and compare purchases; hop in the car for the quick 2 hour ride home; done by 3 PM.

I agree with: entering in the exit doors when the store is open; finding just the areas you want on the map and making a beeline for those sections; having a cart to prevent groups from jostling you out of the way if you're just carrying a bag; doing research ahead of time to see if the store has the items available.

I look forward to those IKEA trips and sense it's time for another one very soon.

IKEA is a merchandizing champ. This has made them successful -- us the fact that their products have greatly improved in quality. And their directions for building their products are the easiest of all the flatpack furniture that I've ever assembled (i.e., Sauder -- really tough and overly complicated). Also, they stage their finished rooms quite wonderfully and one can get fabulous design ideas from them.
As you can see, I am a fan! So I admit that for me I can spend six hours there with no problem. I look at -- and touch -- everything and enjoy the experience whether I'm there for a particular item or not. I do prefer to go during the week -- less crowded -- and I really appreciate family member discounts and free breakfast.
I go in the exit as well because my first stop is always the "as is" department. Then I grab those Swedish Fish and go up to the showroom floor with my cart holding the wonderful IKEA bags that hold a ton -- I purchased several and they are super for all kinds of shopping as well as taking clean laundry to wherever I'm going to fold it. And they are water resistant as well.
I particularly like their Liatorp line and think their kitchen cabinets (and their inner fittings) are amazing for the price.
So please give them their due -- sometimes IKEA is the best choice for the budget conscious shopper.

For the uninitiated, IKEA has marked doorways that are shortcuts between the different sections. Ask a staff member about them if you're in a hurry.

Ikea is the black hole of shopping.

In Switzerland all stores are closed Sundays, so Saturdays are a special kind of hell at Ikea. My trick is to go alone on a Saturday night, after we put the kid to bed, about an hour or so before closing (they close at 9:00pm). The store is practically empty, I never have a line at the checkout, and there's plenty of parking. If I have to bring the kid, we go at dinnertime during the week, and eat first and then shop. My husband usually arrives at some point to help with things. It's also very quiet then!

Go on the weekdays, skip those repulsive meatballs, and take an ativan instead.

Definitely second the late night option. Ikea Brooklyn closes at 9 on the weekends, so I'll get my online shopping list, arrive around 7 and head straight for those areas (if I must see before I buy) or jump straight to the self-service warehouse. And don't forget to hit the As-Is while you're at it!

Definitely don't go on a Saturday afternoon, go late or on a week day. My feelings about Ikea depend on my mood. Sometimes I just want to browse, like when the new catalog comes out, and see what's new. Other times, I need a frame or some other small quick item so I beeline it through the warehouse doors, grab what I need and straight to the registers.

Someone mentioned family parking, I have seen it and keep forgetting to ask in the store what that is supposed to be? The spaces look the same as all the others, just closer to the store. What's the story with that, are you supposed to have a family to park there? Are there family police to watch you, how do they know if the people you are with are your family, and what's the difference in the parking spaces? I'm confused, I understand handicapped spaces but what are "family" parking spaces supposed to be? Anyone know?

I believe in the Twin Cities, Wednesdays are the slowest night.

Here's how I get around quickly, and I've never seen anyone but myself do this: TAKE THE BACK STAIRS!! Customers are allowed, and it's the best way to change floors.

no. that place is a shit hole

Why would I ever WANT to get in and out faster? The place is like an amusement park - I almost hate going with other people because they move too fast!

Ugh, cannot stand the place! Just say no.

I rarely buy furniture at Ikea (too modern and put-together for my taste, although I enjoy the assembly most times), but I love their accessories and organizational tools. I just find it fun to go there (on a weekday, of course) and browse, look for ideas and buy organizational stuff (I'm not organized but try to be) and napkins,batteries, or wrapping paper. Then I top it off with a leisurely lunch/dinner at the café with a book. I love to go.
I have to admit, I adore my tile-top bedside table that does not look like Ikea, that looks like real furniture and the pretty chandelier I found.

#winatlife

I have been to several IKEAs and have only seen damaged items in the as is dept. Granted only 2 were in the US. However I have not ever been to one that I wouldn't gladly go back to!!!