Hello IKEAHOLICS ! Yes, enough is never enough at IKEA. Going to IKEA is the embarkation into the Mothership of Affordable Interiors, the home styling haven, a homemaker’s dream. Anyone been down that IKEA market aisle is probably casually lingering and admiring the amazing showrooms and seasonal displays that are llamacorns. But wait, we can all maximise our time and effort, be a little smarter each time we shop around at IKEA. Because you don’t want to regret a few things that could leave you disappointed when you get home. This article is not sponsored by IKEA, but from a fan (I am a fan!) to all you other IKEA patrons out there who visit the store so often and have to drag your partners along!
So how do we get smart, shopping at IKEA? Here are a few tips. Brush this aside if you already knew.
Take Your Time (all the time you can) to browse ikea properly
By all means, please take all the time you have in the world to shop at IKEA. No one, not a single man or woman or dog would be surprised if you did. Quite often, you would feel very frustrated leaving the store in a hurry and not being able to go through sections that you thought you would explore. This is the worst regret you can ever experience at IKEA, not having the time to see more things thoroughly and get those on your check list. After all, since you already planned to go to IKEA in the first place and drove yourself all the way there (trip could be faraway for some), why not set aside an entire day or half a day for it? You could bundle lunch at the restaurant. Spend quality time talking to the Sales staff for assistance and advice. Get pencils, paper, and a measuring tape to analyse your home situation.
You obviously need time to navigate the maze, somehow. From boredpanda.com
Damn! Gotta head back to IKEA again.
Temporary abandon your kids somewhere
Sorrrrrry. But even if you drop off your kids at IKEA’s Småland, you still got to pick them up after an hour, not to mention worry if they would encounter little bullies in there (fingers crossed). You would not be able to shop freely at ease, on your own without that kiddo intervention and have them running off hiding somewhere for fun around the market halls. Leave the children, particularly on those days when you really need to get down to business on picking up some IKEA furniture, fixtures and a massive haul for a new home.
GO to ikea on a quiet or semi-quiet day
Weekends can get crowded, especially so on holidays out from work. Plan a good week day, when you can have all that space to walk and roam around the market aisles without feeling really tight. Of course, if this is not possible, plan an off-peak timing to head down instead to avoid the bustle. Whichever it may, if you want to be at peace and not be annoyed by others standing in the way of your browsing, don’t follow the majority. Treat yourself to IKEA, like going on a spa retreat to an interior wonderland for some self pampering.
Pick up the HARDCOPY IKEA catalogue for free in STORES
The yearly catalogue is IKEA’s main propaganda medium of communication. It tells you readily, what is effectively in stores at the moment (subjected to availability) and a jaw-dropping whopping cluster of showrooms on every page, with item descriptions and prices. I tend to pick it up and smell the pages itself - some interesting paper scent (lols), flipping through it time and time again in the toilet for much needed home interior inspiration. It’s the basic go-to furnishing textbook. You can download it off the official website too.
The GLORIOUS Singapore’s IKEA Extra Catalogue. Thanks, I’ll take everything!
Check out the IKEA website and social media for new arrivals/sales
New IKEA stuff always gets me excited each time. Most IKEA fanatics would know that checking the IKEA website of your country would inform you of new item arrivals fresh in-stores, even upcoming lines, limited collaborations, the release dates if any, and sneak previews of series launches. You can also find out more about their headsup sales period on IKEA’s Facebook, Instagram or various social media platforms.
NEW IKEA SOMMAR 2019 (SUMMER COLLECTION)
OMG. I need them, seriously.
E-SHOP items from the IKEA online store if you are really busy
Get some items from the IKEA online store deliverable to your home or office when you don’t have the time to shop at their brick and mortar. Shipping fees will be added upon checkout. NOTE. Only some items deliverable can be ordered online, and is subjected to availability on the online store. If these are sold out on the online store, there is still the option of going down to the actual store to pick it up. Refer to the stock availability in stores on the online pages. See below for the green bars showing “most likely in stock” at the stores you select.
The IKEA online store page showing the infamous BILLY bookcase in yellow, and the stock availability in stores.
Check out the IKEA online store for Store Availability before going
The IKEA online store of where I reside, Singapore, shows me the item availability at both Alexandra and Tampines stores. Not all items are shown on the website, but the bulk of most items availability levels is displayed on the product page. Click on the product that you are interested in by searching or through browsing the categories on the site menu. At the bottom of every product page, you can check the availability by store locations - 5 bars of varying availability - green (most likely in stock), yellow (some in stock), red (a few in stock), or not in stock. Always make sure that the stuff you want are in stock before heading down so you won’t be sad later.
Take notes, think, compare and flee to other shops if you can
The key to good IKEA shopping is to take notes about the main items you are interested in on a piece of paper or on your phone. You can take pictures of them, as many of them however you like. In addition, get your brains rolling and think. Have you seen this plastic box somewhere? Does it have a twin at Daiso? At Daiso it is much cheaper. Is the IKEA one better in terms of quality? Although shopping at IKEA is rather budget-friendly for the most of us, think if you could save a little more and do a little less. I see some similarities between IKEA and MUJI, in that they have matching Acrylic organisation now and minimal design forms. If you do not give any thought about your potential purchases, you tend to buy stuff on impulse, wasting it, regretting them a lot and certainly having a harder time decluttering.
Shop for ikea hacks by combining ikea stuff with others
Now, I wouldn’t say this is for everybody. But many of IKEA’s original products may not be as luxe as Crate & Barrels, or West Elm, or the local ones over at Castlery. Nonetheless, an IKEA hack is always the cheap compromise. You can shop and combine different items to make your very own furniture. It could be a personalised fluffy stool - one fluffy cushion and a minimal stool stuck together, or a mirror with washi tapes pasted all over its borders to cover up for its simplicity. Or a personalised lamp with the lampshade hand painted and made by you - the possibilities are endless to do. Try a few hacks to create a unique piece you would prefer over the IKEA mainstream starkness. Check out the d-i-y video below by Lone Fox.
Wait for the item to go on sale (if you can endure the wait)
Maybe not the wisest tip for the impatient, but some already cheap IKEA stuff do get a further discount later, once it is about to be discontinued or out on clearance. So do bookmark those items you may not want so soon but will pick up once on sale. Check the IKEA website over and over again (when you have the time) for various item price changes. Especially for IKEA FAMILY discounts. You will be so glad that stuff you need is slashed 20-30% off, so grab them on sale before they are gone.
Go watch youtubers shop at ikea for sneak peeks
Some of my favourite IKEA Youtubers (Nastazsa, Lara Joanna Jarvis, The Wads..and more) really are such darlings. They give us many regular doses of what's in at IKEA before we go. All the ample talk and hype in these videos are completely relevant and helpful as they go shopping at IKEA more often than most people. You can have a realistic sense of shopping vicariously through them first. Check out their regular IKEA vlog uploads to get a little peek walk-through.
Rest at the restaurant and watch what others are buying
Make a stop at the IKEA restaurant or cafe for a cuppa coffee or tea (complimentary for FAMILY members) to rest your tired feet after all the maze walking and spy away at people’s purchases when you sit nearer to the entrance. You will be able to catch glimpses of others walking out there with their bags full of stuff. People-watch their style and spot the trending home decor the masses are specifically picking up. Be inspired by them. Remember, ideas are very much crucial to your productivity when you get back to the quest of furniture and accessories hunting!
You don’t say? Hot dogs are great on the go.
Pick up chocolates, cookies for ad-hoc gifts at the swedish food market
If you ever felt so clueless as to the art of gift-giving to acquaintances whom you are not so close to and aren’t sure about their tastes, head over to the IKEA Swedish Food Market. Their chocolates are really delicious, inexpensive and awesome for gifts in their cute packaging. Pick up extra ones in case you need to give out more random gifts on some random days. Don’t forget those Swedish Meatballs you can whip up at home without dining in-store.
The star at the IKEA food market. Possibly the most addictive chocolate candy ever.. the damn DAIM taking my money every single time. Its even available on Japan’s Amazon.
Really get help to deliver, fix and assemble your IKEA furniture
IMPORTANT. Always, always, always get the help you need to have your items delivered and/or assembled (especially for larger, bulkier items). You can rope in your friends, siblings, partners, spouses, in-laws whoever willing to help - by all means just ask for help. Worst scenarios, use the delivery and assembly service at IKEA. They come at a fraction of the cost of your furniture piece, but you have that assurance of having a professional to fix it up better than you do, at the very least. In any case, if there is still an issue with the assembly, ring IKEA customer service for a resolution.
Get the complimentary Parking Coupon and pretend that you lost it
Parking is complimentary, if you ask for it upon checkout at the cashier. Remember to get it from the store clerk! Applicable if you have made a purchase at the store. The Tampines store is free parking, by the way. Well, I won’t be surprised if there are peeps who have lost their free parking slips and gotten new ones. And some cheapos out there pretending to have lost the complimentary parking coupons so as to score an additional (replacement) one for a family friend just popping by (lol).