Embracing the IKEA Culture

So, we’re taking a trip to IKEA today with my niece and her boyfriend. This will be their first time to IKEA (this will be an eye-opening experience), and our third trip (but the first to the store we’re going to).

For anyone who hasn’t been to IKEA, it is a completely different experience than virtually any other shopping experience. Once you’re in an IKEA, there’s really no way out unless you follow the predetermined route. There are a few shortcuts, but it’s usually better to stick to the main route, or you may find yourself four sections back instead of four sections forward. I will also say that the “maps” of the store that they give you are virtually useless, and for anyone who actually knows how to read a real map, they’re impossible to follow.

But IKEA immerses you. You lose track of time and space while inside. You have no perception of how close or far away you are from any other point in the store, or the outside for that matter.

IKEA can be scary for first-timers (always bring a friend who’s already been, especially if on your first trip you’re getting enough kitchen-cabinets for redoing your entire kitchen). It’s foreign to anyone who hasn’t been there before. But at the same time, it’s a model of efficiency and productivity. And if you embrace the system, you can actually get through the store quite quickly.

Here are some keys to a successful IKEA trip:

1. Make a list ahead of time. Organize by the area/room that different things belong in. This will make finding those things and not missing anything on your list much easier. GTD fans will do very well with this one.
2. Don’t try to fight the established system. Go with the flow. Follow the arrows on the floor. Trying to fight the system and do things your own way can waste a lot more time than you think it will save. Beware of “shortcuts” also, as they can end up setting you back if you’re not careful.
3. Ask for help. IKEA is a completely different experience. Ask for help and tell the employees it’s your first time there, and they’ll be even more helpful.

If you follow these steps at IKEA (and in a lot of other things you do), you should have an enjoyable and fun experience. Now, these rules don’t apply everywhere, and in some places you can take shortcuts and think outside the box. But sometimes you need to conform. The tricky part is figuring out which situation you’re in.

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