My IKEA experience

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Anastacio

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Well, we went at 12 and got back at 7pm, 6 hours walking around IKEA didn't drive me nuts suprisingly. The setup is awkward and alot of things are a bit stupidly thought out, it could be alot more user friendly. The restaurant was cheap with basic stuff to munch on, the bathrooms were lovely aparently.
6 hours is probably a bit overkill and you could get around it all in an hour and half if you know what you are going for.
Prices are very high, I recently visited the IKEA in the UK before returning, deliberately to get an idea for price comparrisson, I saw sevral things we were interisted in for considerably more than I saw it in the UK a week ago. Seems to be a bit backwards to open up an IKEA and then make it expensive, sort of defeats the purpose of an IKEA imo, but never mind, what can you expect.
Overall a good shopping experience for new styles and cleaner cut furnishings, but doesn't do what it's supposed to do, in IKEA terms.
 
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Acira

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Talking about stupid things they sell in IKEA...we went for the mosquito nets which are very good, the ones we bought in IKEA Europe...but ended up not finding them in IKEA here but lots and lots of nice warm and thick bed covers :cheeky:
 
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PeterInBrat

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There is a reason IKEA is part of the plot of Fight Club. They want to get you into the lifestyle they are presenting. At the last one I went to, you got into the store by going up an escalator and then you are trapped in the store until you walked through the whole store and then through the checkout on the other side of the building. The layout is like a rat-maze. They cleverly have all the tables, seats and toys in the cafeteria for sale in the store along with their famous meatballs. In the US, some couples go on cheap dates to IKEA. Get a light dinner and shop for a fancy new bed or some new kitchen knickknacks. "Oh Honey, look! The woks are only $15!" Next thing you know they've blown $150 on $20 worth of particle board dressers or $1000 on a fancy bed. My brother takes his kids to IKEA for the cheap mac and cheese and chicken fingers-- they will even babysit your kid for an hour if they are under a certain height...

I like the idea of IKEA being in the DR mostly because it will raise the bar for how stores are run down there, but I'd hate to see just franchise stores take over down there as they have in the US.
 
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Acira

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Well, there are backdoors you can take to cut corners if you find them and dare to use them ;)

And IKEA in Belgium at least, don't know about other countries allow since two years children in their play area for the maximum of two hours because there were parents who dropped of their children in the morning, went to work and picked them up in the afternoon...

Some things in IKEA are just hilarious to sell here, not sure what they will do with it but some more commonly used items from here, styled maybe the IKEA way would definitely be a big improvement.
 
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jrhartley

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maybe ikea could restyle some of those nice (NOT) bamboo chairs that look like instruments of torture, that Dominicans seem so fond of
 
Robert

Robert

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Anastacio said:
Well, we went at 12 and got back at 7pm, 6 hours walking around IKEA didn't drive me nuts suprisingly. The setup is awkward and alot of things are a bit stupidly thought out, it could be alot more user friendly. The restaurant was cheap with basic stuff to munch on, the bathrooms were lovely aparently.
6 hours is probably a bit overkill and you could get around it all in an hour and half if you know what you are going for.
Prices are very high, I recently visited the IKEA in the UK before returning, deliberately to get an idea for price comparrisson, I saw sevral things we were interisted in for considerably more than I saw it in the UK a week ago. Seems to be a bit backwards to open up an IKEA and then make it expensive, sort of defeats the purpose of an IKEA imo, but never mind, what can you expect.
Overall a good shopping experience for new styles and cleaner cut furnishings, but doesn't do what it's supposed to do, in IKEA terms.
Click to expand...

You might want to chat with customs, they apply real high tariffs, plus shipping costs etc. We are on an a Caribbean island, you need to expect higher pricing. Plus the volume in the UK is obviously a factor. I don't like it either, but you gotta live with it.

Go spend a week in St. Barts and see how much IKEA style furniture you find and at what price ;)

For those of us that have been here for 10 yrs plus and seen what has happend over those years, you would know what a gift from God IKEA has been and how it has changed the dynamics of the retail market here in Santo Domingo.

I think some of you need to stop complaining and count your blessings :)
 
aarhus

aarhus

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There will be another Mall with cinemas on Tiradentes corner Fantino Falco.
 
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drloca

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Anastacio said:
The setup is awkward and alot of things are a bit stupidly thought out, it could be alot more user friendly
Click to expand...

While I havent been to the location in SD, this has to be one of my main pet peeves with this company, if the locations I have been to in the past are anything to go by...their no-sense layout, which is why I avoid this store like the plague.

Why make people walk through every department possible when all they need is a pillow????

Grrr, I personally would rather have a root canal treatment than have to make a trip to IKEA.
 
Robert

Robert

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drloca said:
While I havent been to the location in SD, this has to be one of my main pet peeves with this company, if the locations I have been to in the past are anything to go by...their no-sense layout, which is why I avoid this store like the plague.

Why make people walk through every department possible when all they need is a pillow????

Grrr, I personally would rather have a root canal treatment than have to make a trip to IKEA.
Click to expand...

Because it makes sense to their bottom line. If it didn't, they wouldn't do it :)
 
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Anastacio

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Feb 22, 2010
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drloca said:
Why make people walk through every department possible when all they need is a pillow????
QUOTE]

It is a stealth hard sell, uninvasive but forced on you, and works. We went for a kids bed and came back with stuff we would never have thought about, but somehow justified needing it as it was sold to us by our own choice, clever marketing.
Click to expand...
 
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drloca

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Anastacio said:
drloca said:
Why make people walk through every department possible when all they need is a pillow????
QUOTE]

It is a stealth hard sell, uninvasive but forced on you, and works. We went for a kids bed and came back with stuff we would never have thought about, but somehow justified needing it as it was sold to us by our own choice, clever marketing.
Click to expand...


Yes, clearly their marketing strategy, and obviously has appeal for many, and the desired effect as in your case where you purchased items over and above what you initially came in for. Relative to the amount of time you spent in the store, it was inevitable....but not going to happen with people in a hurry with limited time on their hands.

I dont doubt it works for them...perhaps not for all prospective customers!
Click to expand...
 
waytogo

waytogo

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Last week I went there with Don, Santiagodr, and he waited for me at the bottom of the escalator while I went upstairs which I thought would be only a minute.
I had to go through the entire store to get back to where he was waiting.
I will never go back to that store because you feel like a trapped rat going through their maze. It was very nerve wracking and not a fun experience.
But the food in the cafeteria did look excellent.
 
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JFD

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Robert said:
what a gift from God IKEA has been and how it has changed the dynamics of the retail market here in Santo Domingo.

I think some of you need to stop complaining and count your blessings :)
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly.
 
bienamor

bienamor

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Robert said:
You might want to chat with customs, they apply real high tariffs, plus shipping costs etc. We are on an a Caribbean island, you need to expect higher pricing. Plus the volume in the UK is obviously a factor. I don't like it either, but you gotta live with it.

Go spend a week in St. Barts and see how much IKEA style furniture you find and at what price ;)

For those of us that have been here for 10 yrs plus and seen what has happend over those years, you would know what a gift from God IKEA has been and how it has changed the dynamics of the retail market here in Santo Domingo.

I think some of you need to stop complaining and count your blessings :)
Click to expand...

No complaining, but have been twice, and won't be back. No reason to go. Not impressed
 
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Anastacio

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drloca said:
Anastacio said:
but not going to happen with people in a hurry with limited time on their hands.
!
Click to expand...

I would say that 95% of the people around us were there on day out, whether they had intentions of buying or not everyone seemed to be walking around with some kind of odd new plastic contraption. I am not sure how much the shop caters to those in a rush and even if anyone would bother going there in a rush. It takes 10 mintues to get from the car through the warehouse and to the first elevator, I couldn't imagine getting out of there in less an hour maybe hour and half at a push, even if knowing what you needed.
I enjoyed the place and still bought from there, even knowing I was paying loads over the UK price for it. It caters very well to my tastes and style preferences so no doubt we will be buying the King size Jap style bed next as I can't find them anywhere Dominican either.
Click to expand...
 
Robert

Robert

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Anastacio said:
drloca said:
I would say that 95% of the people around us were there on day out, whether they had intentions of buying or not everyone seemed to be walking around with some kind of odd new plastic contraption. I am not sure how much the shop caters to those in a rush and even if anyone would bother going there in a rush. It takes 10 mintues to get from the car through the warehouse and to the first elevator, I couldn't imagine getting out of there in less an hour maybe hour and half at a push, even if knowing what you needed.
I enjoyed the place and still bought from there, even knowing I was paying loads over the UK price for it. It caters very well to my tastes and style preferences so no doubt we will be buying the King size Jap style bed next as I can't find them anywhere Dominican either.
Click to expand...

I have been to IKEA many times just for the small food shop.

Park in the front and you can be in and out in 10 mins.
I have done it many times.

Or go off peak times, weekday afternoons or in the evenings.
Click to expand...
 
Robert

Robert

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bienamor said:
No complaining, but have been twice, and won't be back. No reason to go. Not impressed
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Not impressed as compared to what?

You cannot compare it to any other store in the DR as none come close to their customer service, product range, 1st world practices etc.
 
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jrhartley

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if its nicely airconditioned I can imagine people just going in for a cool stroll on a sunday afternoon
 
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