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There has been lots of silly comment on Facebook to the effect that they are just another version of Fly or Casto. If you have ever ripped out a Casto-type kitchen, and put in an Ikea one, you will know the difference.

There are lots of bad things to be said about ikea, not least their obsessive tax avoidance. But for the quality of their products, for the money, and if you use your eyes, they have no competition in any of the four countries I have bought from them.

But too late for me, this time around. And I very much hope it is my last.

I have a friend who recently bought a kitchen from an Ikea in France and when it arrived there were one or 2 damaged cupboard doors. Ikea didn't answer the phone to discuss this for days. The first replacements too were damaged and the second it took 3 replacements before all were in good order.

martyn94 wrote:There has been lots of silly comment on Facebook to the effect that they are just another version of Fly or Casto. If you have ever ripped out a Casto-type kitchen, and put in an Ikea one, you will know the difference.

Couldn't agree more, they are by far the best quality kitchens you can buy in that price range.
As their range/ styles are sold worldwide they are able to produce a standard that leaves the rest trying to immitate but just cannot compete

Sue wrote:I have a friend who recently bought a kitchen from an Ikea in France and when it arrived there were one or 2 damaged cupboard doors. Ikea didn't answer the phone to discuss this for days. The first replacements too were damaged and the second it took 3 replacements before all were in good order.

I've damaged stuff of theirs bringing it home myself: the flat pack mode of doing business has its issues, but I've found them outweighed by the advantages. One thing I have never found - though it's a cliché in comments on them - is bits missing. Nor bits oversupplied, which is almost worse: you see this one widget left when the assembly is finished and think "what on earth have I not done?".

From a personal standpoint, I hope it never happens.

My office in England is not far from an IKEA store and it causes endless traffic jams.

I've been round an IKEA store and found nothing of interest.

I accept that others may feel differently but I would rather not have one near me.

I am sure that ikea is not a stand alone business near your office in England, they are usualy surrounded by KFC, Currys,PC world , Carpet right and Argos etc. It is the Retail park that causes chaos . Correct me if your part of uk is different.

I have not yet had the pleasure( or not) of an Ikea.......IKEA believe I am to be given that pleasure this week looking for a kitchen, though Brico dept and leroy merlin are to be suffered too!

i look forward to the Meatballs and Chips.

LOL
I told my daughter( aged 17...lived in france since 5 years old) that we are visiting Ikea as part of our holiday( dont ask ) she asked if weare having the meatballs, not in jest I must add.

Just to finish, i look after a number of properties varying from apts to a couple of Mas`s
About 50% are Ikea, 20% high end bespoke.... the others are probably brico type or similar

opas wrote:I am sure that ikea is not a stand alone business near your office in England, they are usualy surrounded by KFC, Currys,PC world , Carpet right and Argos etc. It is the Retail park that causes chaos . Correct me if your part of uk is different.

I have not yet had the pleasure( or not) of an Ikea.......IKEA believe I am to be given that pleasure this week looking for a kitchen, though Brico dept and leroy merlin are to be suffered too!

Actually the retail park was there first, the traffic problems only started when IKEA arrived.

I find it strange that a shop seems also to be a tourist destination.

My views may be purely selfish but I live near the suggested site and I would dearly love for them to go elsewhere

Why not try or add to the viewing list 'Lapeyre' - Perpignan.

monsans wrote:Why not try or add to the viewing list 'Lapeyre' - Perpignan.

Nice thought but I am not holidaying in perpignan

If you are going to Bricolage(Riversaltes) Lapeyre is nearby, or maybe you are going to a completely different part of the country.
If this is the same message twice - sorry about that -.

Allan wrote:

opas wrote:I am sure that ikea is not a stand alone business near your office in England, they are usualy surrounded by KFC, Currys,PC world , Carpet right and Argos etc. It is the Retail park that causes chaos . Correct me if your part of uk is different.

I have not yet had the pleasure( or not) of an Ikea.......IKEA believe I am to be given that pleasure this week looking for a kitchen, though Brico dept and leroy merlin are to be suffered too!

Actually the retail park was there first, the traffic problems only started when IKEA arrived.

I find it strange that a shop seems also aato be a tourist destination.

My views may be purely selfish but I live near the suggested site and I would dearly love for them to go elsewhere

Ikea have far fewer stores than most chains - they have tended to set up only where they have a few million people in their catchment area, and can shift shed loads of product. So they do generate a lot of traffic, often from long distances away. But it's (mostly) not tourism: they are the only place I know where you can find essentially all the durable goods to furnish a new home (as I need to do) in one place, at very good prices, of adequate quality, and generally well-designed. So it's worth coming long distances to do it all in one fell swoop, without looking at tat at a dozen places nearer home. You are just unlucky that they picked on your retail park: it might as well have been 100kms away (it is said that Perpignan was in competition with Girona for the store "round here").

That said, their designs are less to my taste now than they were 10 or 20 years ago. Which probably means that they are hitting their "target demographic" bang on the nose. But it is annoying to me: it will take me much longer, and cost much more, to buy stuff I can live with.

I'll believe it when I see it. We've heard all this before.

It took 'em a decade to build the Montpellier store. The usual suspects protested. Don't forget this is Catalan country. Oppose all change and to hell with what the woman (or man) in the street wants.

Merisin

PS Nearly forgot. It's OK to spend millions of taxpayer's money on projects nobody needs.

Living in the UK metroplis of Croydon we have had an Ikea store here since 1992 & it is one of those "Marmite" shops, you either like it or hate it!

Yes it used to cause traffic problems when it first opened with people coming from far & wide for a day out + meatballs & chips for their dinner but you have to admire their business model because it works & they reach their target market.

I run a removal company in the UK carrying out between 10-15 domestic moves a day & you can bet 99% of these have an Ikea product in the house, some jobs are just like moving an Ikea showroom.

Ikea kitchens are very good. However, you have to buy them flatpack, collect and build them yourself. I don't think Ikea have a delivery-service like other stores, which is probably why they were reticent to replace goods damaged in transit.

Anyway, I'm sure Opas you will find the Ikea kitchens better made and better designed than any similar supplier. We installed ours 8 years ago and have not had a single thing go wrong with it. It still looks brand new.

Personally I think Ikea is a great shop. All my friends have bought furniture from them at some point. Can't say I like the meatballs though

Santiago wrote:Ikea kitchens are very good. However, you have to buy them flatpack, collect and build them yourself. I don't think Ikea have a delivery-service like other stores, which is probably why they were reticent to replace goods damaged in transit.

Anyway, I'm sure Opas you will find the Ikea kitchens better made and better designed than any similar supplier. We installed ours 8 years ago and have not had a single thing go wrong with it. It still looks brand new.

Personally I think Ikea is a great shop. All my friends have bought furniture from them at some point. Can't say I like the meatballs though

n

That's something else off my wish list
The kithens do look well designed and am sure that properly installed they will stand the test of time, unfortunatly that is not one of my many skills so have opted for a company that will design and fit....

Steve said he moves many houses that are like an Ikea showroom......having now done the tour I now know I manage many properties kitted out from there....The bedding servicable and stylish, the kitchen ware easily replacable after breakages and the towels are quality at the right price.

Gave the resto a miss, but is still on my daughters wish list- so another visit maybe

Santiago, Ikea do have a delivery service. Had three sofas delivered last year after ordering from the Montpelier store...........at a price of course!