Ikea is ingenious
After hearing rave reviews from others about IKEA, I felt that it was necessary to visit it myself in order to determine what all the fuss was about.
I embarked on my journey to IKEA with the sole purpose of discovering whether it was worthy of the praise. The drive to IKEA, which is located in Burbank, was a little bit arduous, but upon arriving, I realized that it was completely worth it.
Walking through the front door was definitely one of the most memorable events of the entire trip. Everything hits you at once. There were massive displays of furniture, shelves upon shelves of food and even a little supervised “Småland” where parents can leave their children under constant supervision while they shop. That was when I realized that IKEA was not just a furniture store, but a consumer-oriented shoppers’ paradise.
The first thing I noticed was that the store was not arranged like a normal furniture store. Instead of having all items on display at once, IKEA is laid out along one central walkway that zigzags through the store. All items are located close to the walkway so that, as you go through the store, you can see everything you could possibly need. Throughout the store, several rooms are set up so as to provide inspiration and showcase furniture. At the end of the walkway is a warehouse that contains boxes of all of the furniture in the store. This makes it so that instead of lugging huge boxes of furniture throughout the store, you only have to pull the cart from the checkout to your car.
After walking throughout the store I was feeling a little bit peckish. Luckily, IKEA just happens to have its own cafeteria that serves – get this – authentic Swedish cuisine. I was able to enjoy a hearty lunch of Swedish meatballs and mashed potatoes while not even having to leave the place I was shopping. Now, if that is not ingenuity then I do not know what is.
However, there is one thing that is truly frustrating about IKEA. While the layout of the store is very efficient and great for shoppers that are willing to spend the whole day there, it is definitely not the best for shoppers that just want to grab one thing and go. The long walkway serves as a maze of sorts, and unless you stick to the winding path, you will get lost in the seemingly endless labyrinth. This makes it quite a lengthy endeavor to just leave the store.
Overall, IKEA is truly the one-stop shop for all of one’s home decor and foodstuffs alike. Their winning formula makes it so that shopping is converted into an extremely enjoyable experience. In addition, the cafeteria is capable of whipping up some solid Swedish cuisine that can satisfy your hunger while you shop. Although the one-directional layout of the store can result in a long trek to the exit, it succeeds in streamlining the consumer experience and creates an environment in which shopping is bearable.
