IKEA re-hash

About 18 or so months ago I wrote a post about my love/hate relationship with IKEA. In that post I vowed never to return. Today I went back, thinking maybe IKEA is different in the Middle East. I'm here to tell you it's not. It's just as frustrating, just as annoying. We had a whole apartment's worth of furniture picked out - lounges, dining table, beds, etc, etc. Most of it was out of stock. It was going to take 7 days to deliver, if we wanted it sooner we had to take it ourselves that day - what, all of it in our car? We had to wander around and talk to eight different people. It was stressful and crap

We ended up walking out with nothing. We went to another furniture store that had stuff that was better, just as inexpensive, one person could take our whole order (no wandering through massive aisles finding parts and pieces), nothing to put together and they could deliver in 48 hours. Best of all the place was empty, no elbows or screaming kids. Why do you make it so hard IKEA?

To remind myself, I re-hashing the post I wrote last year. I hope you enjoy it.

IKEA and the ex-boyfriend

I went to IKEA today. What a mistake! In fact, while driving home, I decided that IKEA is a lot like an ex-boyfriend. Confused? Let me explain...

The first time you go to IKEA you're head over heels. There's so much to choose from, all so inexpensive. It's mesmerising. That's it! You're going to shop at IKEA forever, there's nothing better out there. You can't believe how lucky you are to have found it. Sure it's a little annoying and there's no-one to help you. Sure it's a little difficult to find what you're after, but you'll work through it. Nothing's perfect, after all.

Then you go home. Not only do you have to do all the work putting it and keeping it together, there is very little in the way of instructions. Once together you realise it's not quite once you wanted and is also a little wobbly (from having to put it together yourself). Shortly after it begins to fall apart. You curse IKEA and vow never to go there again.

Time passes and you think 'Hmmm maybe it's not that bad'. After all everyone else seems to rave about it. Maybe you didn't put enough effort it, maybe if you try a little bit harder this time it will all work out better. 

So, you go back. At first you're mesmerised again. Look at it all, it's wonderful! Then suddenly you feel trapped and all the things you hate about IKEA come rushing back to you. Putting in all the hard work, having to do everything yourself, the cheap shoddy product you get for all your effort. Being treated badly or like you're invisible. Often you simply feel like they're speaking a totally different language.

Tears, frustration, anger. Worst of all you can't work out how to get out of this damn place!

So, this time, this time I swear I will never go back to IKEA again. I've managed to put that old relationship in the past and replace it with a much, much better one, now to find a replacement for my retail relationship...