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| - Ikea is definitely a store I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with. I love them because they have a ton of great items for decorating your home that won't cost you an arm and a leg! I hate them because I rarely ever leave with just what I came for; when I say they have a ton of great items at reasonable prices I mean it, so much that anytime I visit, I leave with way more than I came for and a much lighter wallet lol... Although there really isn't too much to truly hate about the store, there are some things to look out for, read on!
First of all, the service is mediocre at best and usually well below that. It's hard to find well qualified employees anywhere in the store and even in their bigger ticket item areas where you'd want them the professionalism barely improves. Secondly, even though a lot of their items are affordable and look great they're not built to last. The quality is definitely in a lower tier for most items that are saving you money which often translates to the items feeling cheap, showing wear early and even breaking easy. They do have some items that are built solid though (usually priced a bit higher), so I recommend having a close look when you're on the floor so you know exactly what to expect. If you take great care of what you own and you don't have too many careless visitors even the cheap stuff can stand the test of time! Third, the assembly... I think most of us know that Ikea has a bit of a poor reputation when it comes to instructions and assembly. Honestly, the instructions aren't too bad despite being from Sweden lol ;)... but most items do take a fair bit of self-assembly and it's not the easy kind that can be done with true hand and power tools, nope it's the kind you do with those annoying allen keys/wrenches. Very time consuming and tedious... Fourth, be careful to read what's included in each box, often you'll see a complete item on the floor and not realize it's broken down into 2-4 pieces you have to buy separate, so you may easily end up paying more than the cheap price you first see. Finally the store is a busy one! Try and avoid weekends if you can unless you plan on going near opening or closing. If you can make it to Deerfoot Meadows where it's located during a weekday that's probably your best bet!
Going back to my second point on quality, I've noticed some categories are better than others. Where Ikea shines is the small stuff: the accessories for each room, the accent pieces, the storage items, the textiles, the lighting and kitchen items. If you're looking for these kinds of items I highly recommend Ikea. The medium sized stuff is good as well: closets, TV/media furniture, living room storage, coffee and side tables, dining chairs and bedroom furniture are all worth a look. Once you start going bigger than this it gets questionable for me though; sofas, armchairs and sectionals are a no for me here, as are mattresses. They do have some pretty good stuff for bigger renovations of sinks, faucets, kitchen cabinets, fronts, countertops and islands. Just make sure you do your due diligence if you're exploring these options as the assembly typically works a bit different than our usual standards. I would also stick to the major North American brands for your major appliances and avoid the Ikea offerings. Mainly because if you ever need to use warranty, get it serviced or order parts you're going to have a much harder time with these foreign brands.
Ikea definitely has something to offer for everyone, I'd recommend checking it out for yourself if you haven't. First time through its fun to follow the guided path that takes you through department by department which makes it easier to visualize a complete room. Then on subsequent trips you can skip to right where you need to go or redo do the department arranged pathway for some new inspiration. Lots of new seasonal items always come in, so it's worth checking back every few months. Remember to shop smart not cheap, you get what you pay for!
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