apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I ordered a media cabinet on the Ikea web site (swallowed the shipping) and didn't find out that it was out of stock until I got a mysterious refund in my bank account and a package including only the sheets I had ordered.

I love Ikea, and shopped there when I lived in Seattle, in Houston when I lived in Austin, and in Chicago when I lived there. NOw I live in Denver, and there's no Ikea within reach, and no substitute. Seems like there'd be a great audience for it here, I wonder why there's no plan for one. Anyone have an idea on an alternative? (I know there's no alternative to Ikea, but I though I would ask). Also, does anyone know if they're a franchise?

I haven't had reason to venture to Ikea in sometime, but I think that another partial explanation of this might be the Elizabeth NJ Ikea. Yes they should be prepared for the NYC shoppers- but they are probably affected much more by the influx of students and recent grads moving to the City, than say the Hicksville, LI and Paramus, NJ stores. The bus service from Port Authority definitely contributes to this...
anyone have this type of experience at another Ikea location?
If someone has a car it might be worth their time for them to check out one of the other NY area ikeas.

I found myself wandering through the "as is" section searching
for something to make my trip to elizabeth worth while. Ikea can get bleak.

At the risk of spoiling the Ikea Paramus experience by tipping off too many people to it.. . it is FAR more well-kept and presented than Elizabeth, which needs a facelift, a better management/maintenance team, fewer rude/oblivious/sloppy city shoppers, or all of the above. The bummer about Paramus is that archaic laws keep all stores in Paramus closed on Sundays (but all have extended Saturday hours to compensate). The other good thing about Ikea Paramus is how you can hit a home shopping Trifecta (Trinity?!?) there... there is a great Container Store between Ikea and a spiffy new free-standing Crate & Barrel, with complete furniture department. Just don't tell TOO many people!!

Just about every time I have been to Ikea in the past year they have been sold out of what I wanted. Want to buy a wardrobe? They have the frame, but not the doors or the drawers.

Want a cabinet? They have the shelves, but again no doors.

Want another door handle to go with the ones you bought 6 months ago? Sorry, out of stock.

I've pretty much given up. If I'm going to spend 6 to 12 weeks waiting for something to show up on a container, I'll make it something that's worth that wait.

I admit to being an Ikea junkie for over 10 years. I have furnished four abodes with Ikea knockoffs of more expensive designs. I have shopped at the Ikea in Elizabeth, in Long Island, in Philadelphia, in Baltimore (White Marsh), in Woodbridge, VA (near the DC beltway) and in College Park, Maryland (also near the DC beltway) multiple times and all within the same 5 year period. (I've moved around a bit and travel on business.)

I suspect (but have no proof) that the different Ikea locations are run on different management models. The Elizabeth location seems to be perpetually understocked and the Long Island one seems to be doing a bit better with stock but is still staffed with harried clerks, when we could find them. Surburban Philly and College Park (better zip codes?) were definitely better staffed then Elizabeth and Baltimore.

The local demographics also seem to influence what is offered - the Baltimore location seems to sell middlebrow stuff, whereas the Philly and College Park locations have more of the better Knoll knockoffs. The Elizabeth store actually had the best design selection on the floor, but as David points out above, it can be woefully un-stocked.

Sometimes the understocks (and overstocks, believe it or not) are really puzzling. We once wanted 4 brown Tullsta leather chairs to create a conversation area (rather than buy large, difficult to rearrange/move sofa pieces), so we started calling all the regional Ikeas. College Park had 0, Baltimore had 32 (! - new shipment), Woodbridge had 3 and Philadelphia had 7. This was mid-spring, someone was apparently restocking Baltimore way after the new season started.

I've also found that calling the evening before I go really helps - they can tell me exactly how many are in stock. If there are only 2-3 pieces left of something in particular, then we make different plans. (The College Park location later got 17 Tullsta chairs in one shipment before Ikea discontinued it in brown leather.)

If I had to rate the different Ikeas based on stock levels alone, it would be in this order:
1. Philadelphia (main distribution center is near them)
2. College Park (relatively new store)
3. Baltimore
3. Woodbridge, VA (tie)
5. Long Island (worst on weekends)
6. Elizabeth (avoid unless it's a weekday, definitely call ahead to see what is in stock)


FYI, the Ikea in Schaumberg, IL, in surburban Chicago, is housed in a lovely round, glass building that is the ironic antithesis of a "big box" store. More like a "glass donut" store!

Sorry, I was wrong - Ikea's new distribution center on the East Coast will be near Baltimore, not Philadelphia. Maybe that's why the Baltimore store had a lot of chairs on stock?

And no, I don't work for Ikea! I'm just design-obsessed and unwilling to pay big bucks.

I think it's amazing to see how much activity is generated on the Internet due to this one retailer. There was a popular thread on 37Signals about Ikea's terrible ecommerce effort. Everyone loves analyzing what Ikea does right and what they get wrong. Interesting stuff.

I also found ikea to be very limited when I visited 3 weeks ago. They only had 1 or 2 things on my shopping list. I ended up with little misc items which is what it's good for anyway...definitely my last trip too.

has anyone tried ordering from them online... Is it more worthwhile. I need a new book and tv stand . I am worried about how and when it will ship. Any advice?

Ordering from them online is the same deal but with a $130 delivery price tag. I was trying it any everything was gone. Not worth it. I've been on and off the phone with Chester Asher today as he's at Ikea for me, about all the things that are not in stock. Seriously, go to a different Ikea than Elizabeth. And BTW I wouldn't try to oversell the Ikea in Shaumberg, IL, it's not so idyllic (especially since you can see it from afar but it is impossible to get to with all the corporate driveways surrounding it. Very frustrating).

Staking out what is in stock is a good idea. Instead of calling, I check the inventory on the site. www.ikea-usa.com
You can look up whats in stock at 2 stores at a time.

Ordering online has that hefty price attached.
You can check on Craigslist for people who will buy and deliver your items or take you there etc.
Its much cheaper and you get it sooner, w/ out the chance of the item being damaged.

the New Haven Ikea (newly opened in July) is not bad. They have run out of things, but I have seen them restocked. what is annoying is there is no schedule. They could do better.

That said, traffic to get up to new haven is not the best. If you are not in a truck take the Merritt to 95. I'd try there before I went to DC for an Ikea!

I live in Minneapolis, and the new Mall of America Ikea was out of everything I wanted. I was looking for platform beds, and everything that caught my eye was out of stock.

i've had problems with waiting for stuff i wanted to get in, but i've not been wasting trips recently to my local Ikea. The Ikea website may be no good for ecommerce, but it *will* let you check local stocks of items by name, so you can access how likely you are to get something if you make the trip, which is a useful if slightly hidden feature.

Here's what I've learned through sad ole trial 'n' error about the the stock of NYC-region Ikeas-- Elizabeth: sometimes; Paramus: more frequently; Long Island: Never. Never? Well, hardly ever. Gilbert and Sullivan: Always.

I was an Ikea first timer this past weekend in Toronto (North York). I found this store to be quite picked over. Finding help was also a challenge. It was also very busy, which I didn't expect. It was so busy, we had to come back the next day so we could get everything that we came for before heading home three hours away. Also, some of their items were more expensive than what I could get at some chain stores. I would definitely shop again though. Knowing what I know now, I would take a whole different approach to it.

IKEA ROCKS. YOU ALL KNOW THAT. QUIT BITCHING AND MOANING.

My recent trips to the Ikea in College Park, MD are very similar. Only on the fourth visit was I able to find a bookcase I was looking for. The first two visits, the shelves were either empty or strewn with damaged boxes. The official customer service explanation was that the store is always busy, but would soon be restocked. On the third visit, no stock was on the floor, but several items were on the palettes above. After talking to three different people (Ikea in College Park has many unknowledgeable employees, most who never appear busy!) I was told that store policy is to never bring down items from above during business hours. I explained my previous visits and was rudely told that most people never get everything they want in a single visit. Again I would have to wait. On the last visit, the shelves were again empty, but I spotted a cart in the aisle with the three boxes I coveted so much. After twenty minutes of hawking the cart to see if it had an owner, I took it and didn't look back!

I have shopped at an Ikea in the Philly area and then quickly became a fan. I lived in KC at the time but now I live a 2 hour drive to the Schaumberg store. We have hit that store about 8 times in 2 years and the only time we had issues was on a Saturday afternoon in early August, which makes sense, kids were starting to prepare for back to school, etc. They were out of everything. I hope they have the items I want next and I think I will go ahead and do the drive on Friday night to avoid the Saturday crowd!
It is really hard to get ahold of their shelves!!!
I wouldn't give up on Ikea, unless you are really ready to face the retail world again for not-so-quality items at full price!!!!

my only complaint about IKEA is their website. Sure it's nice to see what is available, but virtually nothing can be purchased online. The closest store (until sometime 2005) is in Houston. While I like the things they have, it's by no means worth the cost in gas to drive from Dallas for a few bath towels, kitchen supplies, or wall shelves. It boggles my mind that they limit themselves to in store purchases only (which apparently is no easy task either).

Are they willing to lose such a large share of the pie to companies such as target that offer everything that is in-store AND web exclusives?

Michael:

Their catalog has a far greater selection than the site, and you can order anything in it by phone. Granted, still no substitute for a visit, but an actual alternative to the site.

I used to be a fan of IKEA, but my last experience at the Elizabeth store has turned me off for good. I actually would have been OK with the sofa I wanted being out of stock, if they had been able to take my order, charge my credit card and call me when the couch came in to arrange delivery. Instead, they said they would send us a postcard when the sofa arrived, and then we'd have 14 days to come back into the Eliz. store to have a five minute conversation about delivery and pay them. Not exactly the best situation if you live in Queens and don't have a car. To make matters worse, a week and a half later--postcardless--we checked online to see if the sofa was in stock and there it was, in stock in Eliz. We called them to find out what was going on and the guy on the phone said that we had TWO DAYS to come in to pay for the couch and that he was unable to extend this period of time even though we never received a postcard because the "system could not accommodate this kind of request." At that point I realized that I just didn't want to give IKEA my money any more.

Ikea in Elizabeth is such a disgusting mess (rude workers, dirty store and loud, stupid customers combine to make it a slovenly hell), that when they gave me a $180 media center without ringing it up, I didn't look back. I'm normally scrupulous about mistakes like that (even for $1), but they had me so pissed with their ineptitude, that I didn't bother to look back as I sped out of the parking lot.

Also, for a supposedly effecient, global organizaton, they have the worst logistics of any place without orange aprons. Getting something you've already paid for is close to impossible.

If it makes anyone feel better, the two Ikeas I've been to here in the San Francisco Bay Area aren't any better. The selection is often lousy (how about some new, attractive lampshades?), they're often completely out of basics like bathroom shampoo racks, and the employees are, in general, not helpful (last time I went to four different employees, including two at the Information Desk, who couldn't help me find what I was looking for, and after I wandered around by myself for a while and found the product on display, I finally had to ask a cashier to call a manager for me to figure out how to actually buy the product). I'd never buy furniture there because if I wanted it (which I don't), I could get it cheaper on Craigslist, but I do go for things like frames, wall lamps, knobs. . .and I am lucky that I live close enough to be able to go at night and miss the crowds, slip in through the exit door, go by the scratch and dent room, and then go backwards to just where I want to go.

NYCers, I have your IKEA solution. It's in New Haven, CT. It's a fairly new store, is incredibly well stocked, and seems to have a fair number of friendly staff. I went there on Columbus Day, for chrissake, fully expecting the pushy mobs of the elizabeth store. Instead, I was rewarded with my most pleasant IKEA visit ever. Definitely worth the hour and a half drive.

I am amazed that no one, including AT, has mentioned the prospect of a new IKEA to be opened in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Sure, this will be more convenient for alot of New York City dwellers but has anyone considered the cost to the neighborhood?

And do you really believe this one will be any better?

Don't overlook the "as is" section. More than 10 years ago, I bought a comforter and cover at the Elizabeth store in the "as is" section for $16.00. Yesterday, I washed it (even though the instructions state "dry clean") for the umpteenth time. It's still fluffy and the seams are intact. The reason the store is sold out is because the stuff is priced fairly and it lasts! I've NEVER had to get rid of an IKEA product because it fell apart. It's almost worth taking a personal day to shop during the week.

I live in Red Hook and I think that the IKEA (which looks like it will happen) will be a disaster for the neighborhood. Can you imagine the traffic that you see at the Elizabeth store going through small, one-way, local Brooklyn streets? And you know that the service and in-store stock will be as bad as the Elizabeth store, and maybe even worse because it will be so close for everyone in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens that it will be a mess.
In addition, IKEA has acted in a dishonorable way to the community in Red Hook and has caused a lot of conflict and tension between community groups. They have taken advantage of a community in need of jobs to steamroll their store into the neighborhood. The traffic mitigation measures they have proposed are small and will be ineffective.
I will not shop at IKEA for these reasons and I encourage others to take their business elsewhere.
Plus, their stuff is cheap for a reason -it looks cheap, uses cheap materials and falls apart in a year or two.

I go to the Emeryville CA IKEA and conditions there are not much better. This weekend I wanted to get a TULLSTA brown leather chair which the day before I saw out on the floor room. I hestitated to buy it that day but came back the next day after calling them to check it was in stock and they said it was. I show up and now the chair was no longer on the floor room and I asked a minion and he said that the model was pulled out of sale due to "a design flaw" with the glue the chair used to hold backing to the bottom of the chair. This sounded kinda bogus to me and it sounds like as per Wendy's comments above they have in fact already discontinued the chair. I actually asked two workers about the chair and got the same answer. I was told it would be 1 to 2 months before the chairs came back into stock and that I should check back often. In this day and age that just sounds ridiculous. I know the chair is not all that it just happens to perfectly match some wall trim in my apartment and I did look around and I'm not willing to spend $600+ on a similar leather chair just for an apartment. True some IKEA stuff falls apart I'm sure but all of the stuff I've gotten there has held up ,but I'm the type of person that takes care of my things and I have no kids. I really don't understand these stocking issues and the website is indeed worthless. I tried ordering the chair online since at this point I'm desperate to get it even if I have to pay a little more, but they wrote back to me and said it was a "store only" item--if that's the case why even have a website that allows you to check it out into the cart.

Allison says, "Plus, their stuff is cheap for a reason -it looks cheap, uses cheap materials and falls apart in a year or two." I say she's got a case of sour grapes. The quality of IKEA items can vary, yes, depending on the make. But I've never had to get rid of something from IKEA for any reason other than my tastes changed. I had an entertainment unit/bookshelves for seven years, and it looked as good the day I sold it as it did the day I bought it. Not everything that's cheap is cheaply made. Your "IKEA's going to kill Red Hook" attitude, however? Cheap. And bogus.

Oh, one more thing. The Elizabeth IKEA does suck. Better to go in with a few friends and rent a car, drive 20 minutes to the Paramus IKEA, and enjoy. The store is orderly, stocked, and the salespeople are helpful.

I can't find the Ikeas web site. Google search only brings up articles. Can anybody help?

i was giong through the advert and i came across ur items which i would like to purchase some of ur lovely wardrobe with cabinet fo two kind, which i love to use in my new house. thus, let me know the price and the condition features contained and get back to me for ur payment as soon as possible.
ben ....

I went to the Ikea today in Hicksville. Let me start by saying this is the most uncivilized shopping experience I have ever had. I lived in QUeens for almost 35 years and this tops even that borough in savagery. FIrst, we pull into the parking lot, which is like Death Race 2000 trying to get to the front doors. Then enter the zoo that is the store: people are herded through this maze like hamsters, wall to wall people like the SOylent Green movies, and crazy people who just walk into everyone and everything in their path.....

[edited - MGR]

I live close to the College Park Ikea store and have found that visiting the store during the weekday when it is not over run by tourists (as my Ikea-phile husband loves to call them) is a very good idea. The store is quiter, things are in stock as marauding hordes have not trampled through the aisles yet and those Ikea people in their blue and yellow uniforms are more visible.

You couldn't pay me to go to the Elizabeth store on the weekend, but I've had quite pleasant experiences at the Hicksville store and I beg to differ with "Gary Lynch" about the shopping environment there. For one thing, what does anyone expect on a holiday sale weekend? Of course it is going to be crazy. Make the effort to get up and get there when the doors open if you can't possibly go at any other time.

It's a RETAIL store, folks. It's like every other retail store. The beginning of any season brings an avalanche of new products, and near the end, all the smart shoppers have already picked up their products, leaving the rest for those daring to hope.

Unlike regular retail stores, you can CHECK THE STOCK of the items you want. I did this before heading out to IKEA, and I mean just before leaving the apartment. There's still no guarantee that those items will be there when I get there, or they weren't sold since the last computer update...

But there's a better chance of them being there than if you checked the stock and there weren't any at all. ;) Or if you didn't check the stock at all.

Take the day off and go on a weekday. In the morning. You'll be much happier. You'll have the whole store to yourself.

It might be a good idea to check and see if things are in stock before trecking all over town.

This sounds just like the Home Depot in Manhattan. What a poorly run store. I keep hoping they will change.

I work there.....ask me questions, I ll answer them. I have alot of the problems you guys do and im actually in the store.....so shoot, ill see what i can answer