Why is Ikea so popular?

Galvatron · Post by **Galvatron** » 2004-01-31 11:47pm

I don't get it. I understand that it's relatively cheap, but what's the big deal? Especially with girls. They love that shit. Is it supposed to be cute?

The Non-Expert: IKEA

El Moose Monstero · Post by **El Moose Monstero** » 2004-02-01 12:45am

Hehe, good stuff there, I do rather like some of Ikea's stuff, I've seen some nice designs in there and some of it's fairly tasteful. Mind you, the most fun is finding the shortcuts through the dreaded one-way system of Hell!

Post by **Zaia** » 2004-02-01 01:02am

Durable, inexpensive, and simple. Most of what IKEA sells goes with just about everything.

Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi · Post by **Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi** » 2004-02-01 01:18am

I'm sure those wierd commercials they have have something to do with it.

What I don't get is why Starbucks is so popular. I mean, so what if the coffee's like anywhere else, but twice as expensive?

AnimeJet · Post by **AnimeJet** » 2004-02-01 01:41am

It's huge, and its fun to play the sit on their furniture XD... ._.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2004-02-01 01:58am

Never heard of it.

Post by **Zaia** » 2004-02-01 02:04am

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:Never heard of it.

This is their global website.

This is their American website.

No locations in Iowa yet.

Nathan F · Post by **Nathan F** » 2004-02-01 02:04am

Same here, Spanky.

SeebianWurm · Post by **SeebianWurm** » 2004-02-01 02:11am

Fight Club is my theory. ("Like so many others, I had become a slave to the IKEA nesting instinct.")

Then again, that's my answer for everything.

TrailerParkJawa · Post by **TrailerParkJawa** » 2004-02-01 03:32am

LOL! How timely I went there today with some friends.

Do not buy there kitchen wear, its falls apart quick, but it is cheap! Otherwise its a good place is you are moving out for the first time.

The furniture is simple and function and the price is right. I bought a pretty nice desktop for 50 bucks, just a minor nick. Then I picked out some legs to match for 5 bucks.

We have two locations in the bay area, Emeryville and East Palo Alto. Both are zoos on the weekend. But hey I got to toss my 'neice' into one of the play pens full of plastic balls!

Thinkmarble · Post by **Thinkmarble** » 2004-02-01 03:36am

IVAR ! IVAR ! IVAR ! Woot !

Erm.
Their shelf system juts plain rocks.

Galvatron · Post by **Galvatron** » 2004-02-01 03:51am

SeebianWurm wrote:Fight Club is my theory. ("Like so many others, I had become a slave to the IKEA nesting instinct.")

Then again, that's my answer for everything.

[Tyler Durden]Deliver me from Swedish furniture![/Tyler Durden]

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2004-02-01 03:55am

What the fuck is Ikea?

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2004-02-01 04:00am

Howedar wrote:What the fuck is Ikea?

A huge Sweedish furniture company that operates gigantic retail stores. They just opened one up near my house and it is the size of a fucking football stadium.

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2004-02-01 07:17am

I hear the food's supposed to be pretty good.

Dahak · Post by **Dahak** » 2004-02-01 07:24am

IKEA is cool

Have two stores near my city (and 34 stores in Germany), which means all you other countries are just developing countries when it comes down to the greatness of IKEA.

25% of their turnover is generated in Germany, so you can call us IKEA-crazy I guess <g>
It's relatively cheap, and whenever I go in, I buy more stuff than initially planned (especially in the kitchen's dept.)

As a sidenote: I'm relieved that Starbucks took a nose-beating in the German market. Why I have to pay hideously amounts of money for a coffee I can get better, and cheaper, in one of the countless cafés is beyond me...

Post by **Dalton** » 2004-02-01 09:00am

I'm going to have to get my sister on this thread...she's working for 'em.

Post by **Lagmonster** » 2004-02-01 09:06am

Their stuff is famously artsy among the 'non-classics' crowd. And a lot of it is insanely durable for the price you pay, making it big among the students and young homeowner's market.

Plus their commercials are by far the best on TV. "You feel sorry for ze lamp? Zat is because you are crazy. It has no feelings! And it can always be replaced with better at Ikea."

SCRawl · Post by **SCRawl** » 2004-02-01 10:40am

IKEA: Swedish for "takes two to carry" (Not really, but it sounds good.)

IKEA's furniture is functional, (reasonably) attractive, and relatively inexpensive. My dining room table, for example, is from IKEA. It's a beefy, 6' long, 1.5" thick top with 4" x 4" for legs, all solid wood in an antique finish, and it was $300. Very reasonable, and for this reason, their stuff is very popular.

I personally don't care for a lot of their avant-garde stuff, but I find their furniture rather useful, for the most part.

His Divine Shadow · Post by **His Divine Shadow** » 2004-02-01 10:45am

Howedar wrote:What the fuck is Ikea?

Swedish attempt at covertly taking over the world, IKEA furniture comes pre-installed with the latest model of your own shadow-goverment's mind-controll devices(patent pending).

Alferd Packer · Post by **Alferd Packer** » 2004-02-01 12:08pm

It's popular where I live because it's in the inner city, and the sales tax is half the normal rate for New Jersey.

EDIT - wording

AylaKat · Post by **AylaKat** » 2004-02-01 12:45pm

Why I'm discussing my job on my free time is beyond me.

IKEA is so popular because you can get all kinds of shit for cheap. Some of the stuff is cool. Some of the shit is ugly. Some of the shit is just cheap shit.

I just started working in their bedrooms department. I was introduced to a bed known as the Vestby bed. My coworker lovingly referred to it as a piece of shit. It was two wooden bars, parallel, with beams going across it. That's it. No design, nothing interesting. You could spend an extra $50 and get a bed with a halfway decent design, but no, people want the official piece of shit!

Um. Anyway. Everyone should come visit me in IKEA in Hicksville and watch me be a slave to the Swedes. And buy a Pax unit, you can do anything with it.

Tsyroc · Post by **Tsyroc** » 2004-02-01 12:57pm

Zaia wrote:
Spanky The Dolphin wrote:Never heard of it.
This is their global website.

This is their American website.

No locations in Iowa yet.

He can take a road trip to Schaumberg, IL (suberb of Chicago) or wait until this summer and drive up to Minneapolis/St. Paul for the grand opening of their new store.

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2004-02-01 01:13pm

After an extraordinarly frustrating session in which the local IKEA customer service utterly failed in all possible capacities the father of one of my friend's led a disillusioned crowd in a chant that revealed the true meaning behind IKEA's name: "I KANT EXECUTE ANYTHING"

But hey, I kinda like them.

apocolypse · Post by **apocolypse** » 2004-02-01 02:10pm

There's a few IKEA's in the L.A. area. It's not bad, some of it is really horrible, but some is pretty decent. And like other's have said, the prices are good, and the product last a long time. I bought my dresser for maybe 60 bucks (I can't remember the exact amount) and it looks fine and holds up well. It's insidious like that.