Get the most out of your IKEA shopping trip

Having worked for IKEA for 10+ years I'm always shocked at some of the basic things I know about the store that many customers don't. After shopping at the Tampa, FL store with my Mom a few months ago I realized I need to share the info I know to make it easier for any customer, new or experienced, to shop at IKEA.

For all customers:

1. Shop in the morning- Stores are busiest on weekends and after 5 on weekdays. If you hate the crowds then you should try and shop on a morning, especially a weekday.

2. Wednesdays & Thursday are best chance at full stock- Since the busiest days are Saturday and Sunday, that is also when many things sell out. While the stores usually receive shipments daily, everything is pretty much back in stock on Wednesday to prepare for the upcoming weekend. So if you want the best chance at scoring as much as possible then go on Wednesday or Thursday.

3. Shop Summer in March- Summer items are implemented in stores during the month of February (except AU). Some items arrive late but the good items sell out FAST. If you want any outdoor furniture or summer themed accessories you should visit the store early March.

4. Shop Winter & Christmas in October- Winter holiday and Christmas items are implemented during the month of October. Similar to the summer items, the good stuff goes fast. I highly recommend shopping the last week of October to catch the items before the sell out.

5. Sign up for IKEA Family- IKEA Family is a card that is free and you can get one instantly from a Kiosk in the store (they are usually at the beginning so don't wait until checkouts to ask about it). There is ALWAYS IKEA Family deals in the store and sometimes you may not even know about them so make sure to grab this card and use it. This is not to be confused with any IKEA credit card offer going on. It is not a credit card.

6. Consider couples therapy before shopping at IKEA as a couple- Shopping in a large store, making big budget decisions as a couple and having different design opinions does not make for a fun day out. It is way more common than you would think that couples end up yelling at each other in the middle of a busy store over what color sofa they want. Discuss some basics together before shopping and prepare yourselves for disagreements so you know how to handle them without fighting in public. The stress of a big store and many options will cause your emotions to go wild so the better prepared you are the better chance you have at keeping your dignity in public.

For newbies and first visitors:

1. Prepare to spend 2-3 hours here- As I'm sure you can tell from the outside, the store is big. Please don't underestimate the time you will need to walk through a building this size with 2 floors (most are 2). You should expect to spend a least 1 and half hours in this store. If you are purchasing a LOT then you should expect to spend 3 hours. There is a restaurant located halfway through the store for those of you who need a break in between the shopping. Don't get angry at an employee because you want to get out quick. It's not their fault.

2. Just follow the big arrows please- The largest cement pathway, the main path, is your friend. They have arrows on this path (or signs above) that point you in the right direction. Those arrows do not make you walk in an endless circle. Will it feel like you are walking forever? YES! ITS A BIG BUILDING! Are their shortcuts? Certainly. But if you are not familiar with the store then most customers tend to go in circles following the shortcuts and take even longer to exit and then get super angry and yell at the employees. Again, they didn't build the store.

3. Leave the display & tag alone- Don't rip the display tags off of the displays (those white tags in plastic). Also, don't take the display either. If you are angry that you can't find an employee anywhere in the store it's probably because they are spending their entire shift printing and hanging new tags for all of the displays and replacing all of the displays they picked up from the cashiers because customers keep taking them. There are pencils, shopping lists and measuring tapes all over the store to write down the name of the item or take a photo of it with your phone. Also, there is a red or yellow portion of the tag at the bottom which explains where you can pick up the actual item downstairs. Write this down or take a picture of it.

4. Assembly Required- The furniture is NOT already assembled. If you are on a super tight budget then you need to be prepared to assemble all of it yourself when you get home. I'm always shocked at how many visitors in the store don't know this about IKEA yet. If you don't want to assemble it yourself there is an assembly service that you can pay for. Ask any IKEA employee about this.

5. Take it home today or deliver it- You can also take most of the furniture home with you same day. Don't have a way to bring it home with you? There is also delivery. You can also talk to an employee about this. Again, there is a cost so every time you add a service it will increase your money spent.

For the regulars:

1. Shortcuts- So you think you have mastered the main aisle through the store? The signs above have smaller arrows with shortcuts. Just make sure once you take the shortcut to follow the big arrows again so you don't end up walking backwards (and thus in circles). Already know what you want and don't need to see the upstairs Showroom? Most IKEAs have a door behind the front entrance escalator (near Småland play area) that leads directly into the markethall or accessories area. If there is not an unlocked door then simply go up the escalator and immediately circle around the staircase toward the restaurant and you can take that staircase to the markethall.

2. They can do it for you- Most stores have the ability to place an order, pick up all of the items and ship it to you. All you need to do is walk in the door and find an employee to tell them what you want. Yes, there is a fee, but I bet you didn't know about this service huh?

3. IKEA Business- This is another part of IKEA that is unknown to many. If you have a small business and want to furnish this business with IKEA furniture and accessories, there is usually a person in the desk department that can help you plan this. They aren't always available but ask anyway because they have tons of knowledge on how to furnish different businesses and what items may be on sale for you to include in your plan.

4. Update your kitchen with IKEA- You are crazy if you don't consider buying IKEA kitchen cabinets. They are significantly lower price than the competition and usually have more included. For example, soft closing drawers are a very expensive extra cost everywhere else but IKEA has them for less than the price of non soft closing drawers at the competition. There is also an installation service that can do basic assembly to full on kitchen planning and remodeling. These kitchen cabinets last FOREVER and is ranked 2nd by JD Power for customer satisfaction in their 2017 report. You will save a fortune and your new kitchen won't look like the basic cabinet: budget edition that you find elsewhere.

I hope that this gives you some new learnings and insight into the IKEA store and I hope you have a better shopping experience next trip.

#IKEA