What Can an IKEA Store Do for You?
You’ve been browsing through what seems to be a
million furniture stores, and nothing you’ve found is right for you;
either it doesn’t fit into your price range, or it just is plain
unattractive. You’re just about ready to give up on the whole thing
until you visit a relative’s house to complain. When you walk into
their living room, you see the most incredible furniture you’ve ever
set your eyes on! When you ask your relative how many vital organs
they had to sell to buy the furniture, you’re nearly knocked off of
the gorgeous leather sofa you’re sitting on when you find it the
prices were VERY reasonable. They tell you the furniture came from
this great store called IKEA. You’ve heard of it but never thought
it could serve your needs. But now that you’ve seen some items for
yourself, you have to know more; so your question becomes, what can
an IKEA store do for me?
About IKEA
IKEA is a furniture giant that had humble
beginnings in Sweden with creator Ingvar Kamprad. He initially
started out selling small products in the 1940’s, but by the 1950’s
made the switch to furniture – and history was made. Over the
decades, he and his company continually evolved and improved on
various technologies until they created what would be known as the
innovative, utilitarian look of IKEA furniture.
The company has become a household name for its
impressive furniture designs; but what is even more impressive about
the company’s products are the prices customers pay for them. Many
of the designs are created with price in mind. This means, when they
imagine a great new product to manufacturer, they first decide on a
price, then come up with ways to make an incredibly creative design
that can fit within those means. Additionally, they include unique
packing methods into the price because they know shaving costs
during the shipping process will reduce costs for them, which is
something they can pass on to their customers.
You can find at least one IKEA store in 35
countries – and they are continuing to open more each year. With
each IKEA store that opens comes more creative designs, mixes and
matches from the fashion statements of different countries (ex.
European styles sent to American retailers), and more innovative
ways to ship and pack their products that will cut even more costs
to customers. In addition, they’ve come up with new ways to improve
their customers’ shopping experience. In sum, there is plenty that
an IKEA store can do for you. So let’s learn more!
Great Low Cost Furniture
The most popular aspect of any IKEA store is
the great, low cost furniture – but being the top home and office
furnishings store, what else might you expect? At their stores, you
can find anything you’re looking for to furnish your home; and
“anything” might include: bedroom items (beds, mattresses, dressers,
bed linens, closet organizers), dining room furnishings (dining room
table, chairs, window treatments, table settings), kitchen items
(utensils, pots, pans, sinks, faucets), living room items (sofas,
chairs, DVD and CD storage, coffee and side tables, area rugs), and
office workstations (desks, swivel chairs) to name a few. Every item
comes in a sleek and contemporary design – something many stores
compromise for low price. This makes visiting one of these popular
stores an exciting experience for customers. But this is not all
they offer.
Room Set Ups and Furniture Consultants
To fall in line with the superstores of the
future, IKEA is learning to be a one-stop-shop for customers. So as
a courtesy to shoppers who may have little to no idea what they want
to purchase (especially those who have recently purchased a home and
need all new furniture), the retailer offers up to 50 room set ups
in their stores, depending on which store you visit. By providing
this service to customers they hope to spark a little decoration
inspiration – but they don’t mind you stealing their entire idea.
And if you somehow walk through their entire
store and find no room set ups that you like, they offer free
appointments with one of their furniture consultants who can give
tips and advice on the best way to design anything from one room in
your home to an entire office. You have to set up an appointment
ahead of time to ensure a consultant is free, but after that is done
you have access to great free advice – what a service!
Assembling Assistance
Some locations are also offering customers
assembling assistance. While this service is not free of charge, it
is available, which helps those customers who are not handy with
tools put together their furniture. Since IKEA furniture is
typically built to be assembled by the customer, it is almost a
guarantee that you will have to do some work to put your products
together. But with assembling services available to you, you can
guarantee that your new furnishings will look as nice at those on
the showroom floor.
Additional Goodies
In addition to the great furniture assistance
your local IKEA store can provide, you might also have access to
their great add-ons. While these are not found in every IKEA store
to date, they may be popping up in more over time.
Restaurant and Café – Many locations are
sprouting up with a full-service restaurant and small café right in
the store to keep their customers from starving while shopping – a
great strategy to keep their visitors around much longer.
Children’s Play Area – For those who want to
shop at their own pace – without frustrated children in tow – they
can take advantage of the children’s play area many stores now
offer. At no cost to the parent, the child can be dropped off at the
fully-supervised play area for the duration of the parent’s stay –
as long as the child meets the height requirement. If the height
requirement is not met, then the parent can take advantage of an
additional play area that is parent-supervised for smaller children.
Each IKEA store that you visit can bring you
new ideas, new experiences, and most importantly, new furniture. If
you are willing to browse a store in your area, you are likely to
find what you’re looking for. So don’t let your relative be the only
“cool” person to have taken advantage of what an IKEA store can do
for you. Jump on this economical, stylish bandwagon. You won’t
regret your decision!
IKEA Information
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