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Original poster

Is ikea still mad?

53 replies

FancyARoot · 31/08/2020 10:38

I’m considering going on Tuesday as I actually do need some bits of furniture. I went a couple of weeks after they reopened and people were queuing round the car park IN THE RAIN!

Ikea is 2.5 hours away from me and after Tuesday I won’t have the chance to go child free for a while.

Should I risk it? Has it calmed down a bit!?

OP posts:
UnitedRoad · 31/08/2020 10:44

I wouldn’t go anywhere near on a bank holiday, but weekday evenings are quiet.

ArsenicNLace · 31/08/2020 10:51

I went on. Thursday afternoon and it was really quiet. Only one level of the car park open and that wasn't even full.

Lulooo · 31/08/2020 10:54

I've been a few times as we've redecorated the whole house and wanted bits and bats. Weekends and bank holidays, I'd avoid. Midweek afternoons seem to be quiet. Evenings a bit more busy. I've been on a a weekend as it was the only day DH could make it and needed a hand lifting stuff but had to queue 30 mins outside. When I went without him on a weekday I didn't have to queue at all.

Changeisneeded · 31/08/2020 11:26

I went on Friday saw the queue and returned to the car. We weren’t the only ones doing that! I reckon it will be quieter once schools are back as so many are on leave currently.

Original poster
FancyARoot · 31/08/2020 17:59

Thank you!
Hmmm still not sure what to do. It’s a Tuesday afternoon but still holidays...

OP posts:
BalloonSlayer · 31/08/2020 18:33

DD and I went on the Friday after the A Level results. We arrived just after 9am; I have NEVER seen it so quiet. It was like my spending the night on my own in the Natural History Museum fantasy. Except IKEA! It wasn't hugely busy when we left either.

Cornishmendoitdrekkly · 31/08/2020 18:40

Went to Exeter IKEA on Thursday at 3pm. No queue to get in and only one person in front of us at the exit tills. Lots of hand sanitiser stations dotted around so felt reassured eventhough there were lots of people inside just browsing.

alltoomuchrightnow · 01/09/2020 00:48

I work there in fact only just got home from the shift from hell
Today (Tuesday) will be quieter but bear in mind most things are in short supply or sold out.
Sales ended yesterday. It's one of the busiest times of year due to students and landlords of student accommodation stocking up (this is my third year at this time of year)
So it might be quieter but be prepared much will be sold out after the crazy weekend we've just had. Although I expect my store to be very busy for another week or two especially for office furniture , bedding and cookshop

alltoomuchrightnow · 01/09/2020 00:50

Oh and if you want the freezer/food bags... my store sold out of every single one by Saturday night! Just to give you an idea. And people were filling 5 trolleys with pillows, duvets etc

thesoundofthepolice · 01/09/2020 00:57

I went to the Edinburgh yesterday(Monday) for one solitary pillow, big mistake!
The shop it's self was ok, not crazy busy but a fair few folk in.
The checkout area was bonkers, took me over 20mins to pay. You have to queue up, then be directed to join a queue at the actual till. I was sent to a till with three people in front of me who all had multiple trollies. I asked to use the self scan where there was no one waiting to go to but no, that was a ridiculous suggestion!!
I'm not sure bank holiday made a difference but I honestly won't be going back.

Eastie77 · 01/09/2020 01:05

I went yesterday. Obviously going on a Bank Holiday Monday was a silly idea but I wasn't thinking straight.

Queued for 35 mins to get in. DC wanted to eat so we headed straight to the restaurant. Queued up only to be told the earliest slot for an available table was 45mins away so I put my name down and thought I'd quickly do my shopping and return.

Picked a few items but the queue to pay had around 150 people and only about 5 tills openConfused. Returned to the restaurant for our booked slot and had to wait in line to order food and then wait for it to be brought to our table. We were there for 4 hoursShock I cannot face shopping anywhere else.

hastingsmua1 · 01/09/2020 01:06

It was for me 2-3 weeks ago.

Since they have reopened, the usual quiet times aren’t quiet any more. Lockdown has changed customer habits. I typically visited a few hours before closing pre-lockdown and it was always quiet. Recently however, and there were very long queues to get in and to pay, the store was at max capacity both visits. Lots of customers must have been there at least 30 mins after closing just to pay as the queue was that ridiculous.

I reckon the store would be quietest now as soon as it opens? My city is a ghost town in the morning now

Scabetty · 01/09/2020 01:07

Dd went today and there were no queues on arrival, but queues when she left around 3 oc.

hastingsmua1 · 01/09/2020 01:09

To add, my local IKEA closes at 10pm! So seeing queues at 9pm is out of the ordinary

hastingsmua1 · 01/09/2020 01:10

@hastingsmua1

To add, my local IKEA closes at 10pm! So seeing queues at 9pm is out of the ordinary
Was* out of the ordinary, before COVID! It is the ordinary now.
alltoomuchrightnow · 01/09/2020 15:13

Not true Hasting, depends on the store... mine opens at 10am and all last week there were two hour queues outside first thing. This is because our 'sister' store closed down earlier in the year probably too so more footfall.
Last week and this weekend we saw the same queues to get in , and also to pay , as when we re opened. The queue to pay went over two floors and was backing up on itself. This was a nightmare for staff as there were hundreds of abandoned trolleys. Staff have to stay behind late and put every single item back in its correct place; obviously it's a huge store, and we get no overtime whatsoever..we just have to suck it up and work for free but it's been like that since store reopened anyway as short staffed and targets are nuts to make up for the loss from lockdown

alltoomuchrightnow · 01/09/2020 15:15

I've been getting home at midnight nearly every night now for the last 3 or 4 weeks, to give you an idea...meant to leave at 10, we close at 9

hastingsmua1 · 01/09/2020 15:37

@alltoomuchrightnow fair enough! Just theorising, I haven’t actually been in the morning as the 2 evening trips I had since they reopened were hell enoughGrin you’re right about the closure though, Coventry closed so my local store is probably extra hectic

BellsaRinging · 01/09/2020 15:39

I went on Friday afternoon, looked at the queue and drove back home. Long queue. Outside. Rain. Misery. No one needs that.

EasilyDeleted · 01/09/2020 15:46

A friend told me to avoid for the next couple of weeks as its peak season for students stocking up for stuff for university accommodation.

SansaClegane · 01/09/2020 15:51

alltoomuch just out of interest, what would you say are the quietest days/ times/ months? I love IKEA but haven't been since lockdown started.

Toddlerteaplease · 01/09/2020 15:57

I went late afternoon and though the queue was king it moved very quickly.

amusedbush · 01/09/2020 16:07

Ugh, I was planning to go at the crack of dawn on Thursday but I'm not sure I'll bother now!

alltoomuchrightnow · 02/09/2020 01:34

Sansa...the absolute busiest time of year is.. ALL the school holidays, but more so this year as people weren't going on hol so spent more on their homes...
This time of year when students go back... bedding and cooking essentials run very very low or totally sell out at my store, hence a lot of aggressive customers I had to deal with yesterday (most items had sold out over the weekend..be it sale items or just the lowest price essentials...eg pillows, mattress protectors, duvets and covers, saucepans, utensils, even little things like freezer bags, drinking straws, spatulas etc)
Straight after Christmas, and New Year. The build up to Christmas is nuts but it's just after, and people get bored at home, that it's INSANE. Namely the week between xmas and NY.
I would say to go a mid week evening..that's when I shop if I'm off! I make a list and get there for about 7.30 ish. Obviously if you want Finance or to eat you need to come a lot earlier. Go to the Showroom and not the Market Hall for Finance if you need it, as most MH staff are not trained to do so. (I say this as we close at 9 and Finance can take 40 minutes or so to set up...I get some very pissed off people turning up at 8.55 pm expecting to sign up for Finance!)

There are no quiet months though! But safe to say , Easter hols and NY are the times to avoid (and the student return rush) Summer holidays are always insane for the restaurant and Smaland creche but obviously the creche still remains closed

And as I say... restaurant probably best avoided right now unless you are really determined! But I've known customers queue several times just to book a slot...Use the bistro cafe instead, which also stays open late.
BRING YOUR OWN BAGS AND TAPE MEASURES AND PENCILS/PENS AS WE ARE NOT GIVING THEM OUT! (because of Covid). This is a good thing for us staff as less graffiti and drawings everywhere.. we all before spent a stupid amount of time cleaning it up.

And in busy times, packing supplies for glass ware will run out too so be prepared.
More for reference... IKEA will not enforce mask wearing nor question it. It's just us staff have to wear them. We won't challenge customers.
You can remove masks in the restaurant area too.
Toilets open as normal but be prepared cleaners are spending far more time sanitising them so you might have the odd wait for the loos while they do a quick clean around
And lastly..please, please do be kind to staff!
We don't make up the rules especially regarding restaurant waiting times..it's all for your own safety and comfort!
And... don't just abandon your full trolleys!

alltoomuchrightnow · 02/09/2020 01:41

oh and remember, IKEA does close all of Christmas Eve! Because it's in line with Sweden and not the UK. But opens Boxing Day
Every year we get a queue form on Christmas Eve, banging on windows and doors, getting aggressive with the security guards because they want to return stuff or buy trays for turkeys (can't even remember the proper name for one...I don't eat meat!)

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