Welcome to the mother ship! (Ikea)

Member Name: kirlykird

Product:	Ikea
Date:	10/01/09 (138 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: good food, well priced, great accessories and soft furnishings

Disadvantages: Not readily available in all towns, not the best or easily assembled furniture

IKEA is a staple requirement in our home. No, we are not kitted out in Scandinavian minimalist space age looking furniture, nor do we have an abundance of IKEA storage boxes but yes, we do like the accessories and of course the food from the Swedish shop.
We probably make a family visit to IKEA whenever we pass one or at least once every few months as IKEA and its Swedishness is as close to Sweden as we get with a reasonable and usually cheap price tag.
Before we go any further, it is probably wise of me to explain the necessity for all things Swedish in our home & this will be due to the Swede I am married to.

*IKEA. its homeland & its concept*

In Sweden, IKEA as a chain is just as big as here, if not bigger. It is the place that the normal man who doesn't have pockets full of money will buy his furniture and accessories and it is safe to say that most Swedish homes will be furnished and accessorised by IKEA. In Sweden, nature and the home both play a big part in people's lives. In fact, one of the best ways to describe the Swedish home furnishing style is to describe nature - full of light and fresh air, yet restrained and unpretentious.
This is obviously due to the fact that IKEA products are relatively cheap and this is the concept behind the brand as chosen by Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of the company. The IKEA name was chosen from his initals, IK, & followed by the initials of the farm and the village in which he grew up, EA. This is IKEA or Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd.
The concept in which he believed is that low prices are the cornerstone of the IKEA vision, business idea and concept. The basic thinking behind all IKEA products is that low prices make well-designed, functional home furnishings available to everyone regardelss of which part of the globe that you live in.

*The IKEA empire*

Well judging by the facts and figures, the above concept works especially due to the fact that Forbes magazine claim that as of 2008, Ingvar Kamprad is indeed the 7th richest man in the world.
According to the IKEA website, At the end of the 2008 financial year, there were 253 IKEA Group stores in 24 countries stocking everything for home furnishing under one roof. Last year 565 million customers visited an IKEA store, gaining inspiration from our displays which show IKEA products in actual room settings. For the latest store information, To read more, please visit IKEA Group stores.

Top five sales countries
Germany 15%, USA 10%, France 10%, UK 7%, and Sweden 6%.

* The shop itself*
Well I have visited IKEA in both the UK & Sweden and there really is not much difference in the lay out, the restaurant, the products, the Swedish food shop or the hot dog stand.
When you enter the store, there is usually a childs play area in which you can place your little darlings to play in the ball pool whilst you browse the store at your leisure.
The layout of the IKEA store is in such a way that you cannot miss any products. The store is huge but you have to follow the designated walk path all of the way through the store, which in a business sense is a great way to entice your customers to purchase more.
Eventually, you will proceed to the checkouts unless you have to collect some flat pack furniture and the checkout is followed by the Swedish food shop & the hot dog stand.

* The Restaurant*

The restaurant menu varies very slightly from country to country. Obviously in Sweden the main choice will be meatballs, potatoes, sauce and lingonberry jam. This will be served with a salad buffet and bread.
In the Uk, this is very similar although no bread or salad is on offer unless you wish to pay extra. Aside from meatballs, there is usually a selection of sandwiches, salads, cakes & pastries, childrens lunch boxes, fish and pasta. This can come in adult or child portion size and is very good value for money, particularly in the Summer holidays when childrens meals are on offer at 15p.
A wise tip if choosing a meatball selection is that under no terms offend the Swedes and take chips with your meatballs as offered on the UK menu!
All drinks in the restaurant are usually refillable so it can also be a good place to meet up with a friend for a chat.
A tip for the soft drinks is to try the cola with a hint of lingenberry juice, it is yummy!
The restaurant is light, airy and spacious. It is very child friendly with its own childrens section with microwave and bits and bobs that are useful with babies and small children such as disposable bibs. There are always a large number of high chars available too which we always find useful as we have a todddler.

*The products*
Ok, I am not a huge fan of Swedish furniture design and I am more of a solid wood style furniture than a flat pack girl, probably because I am useless at building things. however, I do like the accessories, soft furnishings and odds and sods found in the shop and I have been well known to blow my budget here!
IKEA has a huge range of these things from fabrics, to lighting, kitchenware to wall decorations and candles to plants.
I do have asoft spot for the lighting section and particularly their candles. If you use a lot of tea lights as we do, they do very cheap multi packs of them and lovely scented ones too.
There is always a very good bargain to befound here in IKEA and I do enjoy the trip out to visit, though we do generally go home pounds lighter!

*The Swedish food shop & hotdog stand*

Well living in a half Swedish household, our main purpose of the trip to IKEA is for the food shop.
A variety of Swedish goodies can be purchased from here including frozen foods, buscuits, Swedish liquor, cheese & cold meats and cakes.
My recommended list for anyone who hasn't braved the delights of Swedish food is :
Pytt i panna - this will be found in a frozen packet and consists of cubed potatoes, onions, beef and pork... best served with beetroot and a fried egg on top
Mazarin cake - It's a tender short dough crust with an almond paste filling & topped with icing... this has to be one of my favourite cakes ever.
Swedish meatballs - of course!
Swedish crisp bread - the best of course
Lingonberry cordial juice - a sweet and enjoyably refreshing drink

If you have not tried the delights of the restaurant then maybe head next door to the hot dog stand. The hot dog is a staple Swedish snack food and is very tasty. At 35p where can you go wrong?

If you have never been to this shop then I would recommend that you give IKEA a try particularly the Swedish restaurant and food. However, do expect to come out lighter in pocket than you went in!

Summary: A great place to shop & visit whatever your budget