IKEA - when is it least busy?

[mckenzie]

DH and I want to go to Ikea to buy DS a little wooden table and chairs but I can't bear the queues at the checkouts. We can be very flexible as to when we go and wondered if anyone has much experience of Ikea and the busy times to avoid and quieter times.
We live about half way between the North Circ one and the Lakeside one so can go to either.

thanks for any advice.

Both Croydon and Thurrock are very quiet on Sat at the opening hour and up to 10:30.

Ah...Ikea my second home! Sorry I haven't had time to read all this thread but my advice would definitely be to go in the moment the doors open in the morning. Check out the floor plan and take short cuts to the section you want. You will be out the door first and there will not be any queueing.

Ikea opens at 10 on weekdays, 9 on Saturdays and 11 on Sundays.

Re returning things. Someone told me that it's best to plan to turn up approx half an hour before closing time, since once you've got a ticket and are in the queue, the staff have to process you before they can go home. So everything tends to move quickly!!

That said, I recently could only go to return something at the Croydon one on a Friday morning. I was in and out within half and hour (pity it takes me 1.5 hours in the car each way!).

Last time I went to ikea (n. circular) it was at 5:30pm on a weekday and it was absolutely dead. Other than during the England world cup games (must have seen you there aloha), I have never seen it that quiet.

I've been when the store opens and it's not too bad first thing. Tends to get busier later on. I've heard that the Croydon store is undergoing a bit of a facelift/extension so its probably worth avoiding that one. I've found the Thurrock store the best out of the three in the London area.