Wednesday, January 28, 2009

A to B

Been away for a few days. Some of it work, some of it trying to put up a new desk and move the computer. Moving the computer was probably worse than putting together the desk.

I struggle to know what to make of IKEA. The thing is that I firmly believe that they have mastered the art of flat pack furniture. The stuff is good quality, strong and, importantly, easy to put together. I'd recommend it to anyone. But they have so NOT mastered the art of shopping. It is an experience close to the 5th level of hell which I would not recommend to a single soul, even if I hated them. You have to fight your way through so many people. You find the furniture you like. Only to find some toerag has torn off the reference tag because they can't be bothered to write the aisle number down (this is true, people are too lazy so they just make it hard for all of us). Then you have to go around all the sections of the store you don't want to see. If you are lucky you find a short cut, if you are unlucky your short cut actually spits you back out at the beginning again (it's a bit like giant snakes and ladders). You finally get to the aisles. Curiously all the bits you require for one item of furniture are not together, instead you need to go to about three aisles. And at the third you discover the vital component is sold out. So you have to weigh up the eternal dilemma, do you buy what they have but then have boxes blocking your house for weeks, or do you not buy it only to find that next time a different component is missing.

It's enough to make you scream (which, by the way, I don't advise in store, it appears it is frowned upon).

4 comments:

Shaun said...

you know you can shop online now I assume...

http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/store/homeshoping

Rainbow dreams said...

thank you for that whistlestop tour..and now I don't feel I am missing out for never having been in one :)

Sarah said...

Or come to Ashton. Ours is usually not very busy. And you can visit me as I work just across the road!

1 i z said...

Oh and Skream is a very nice, birch finish coffee table.

Probably.