Jean in Newcastle Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Our local IKEA is listed as a tourist attraction with a sign on the freeway and everything. Just a lighthearted thread to see if you think that IKEA is a tourist attraction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 IKEA looks the same even overseas. Just that the IKEA cafe has localized favorites. Småland is slightly localized overseas. Silly trivia: Stanford U and IKEA East Palo Alto is on the same US101 exit. People think Stanford is a tourist attraction. We brought many visitors there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 We had some relatives visiting recently from a country with no IKEA. My mom wanted me to take them there but I just stared at her (in real astonishment) and she dropped it. So I guess she thinks it's an attraction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I've never been inside one. I looked it up and the closest one is two hours away, so if I did go to one it would be a tourist attraction for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelli Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 When I visited Seattle with my dh many years ago, the wife of the guy we were going to meet took me to the Ikea there. She said, "Have you ever been to Ikea?" I said, "No." She said, "You've GOT to go!" So she took me. We still joke that she's the one who introduced me to the Ikea awesomeness. So my Seattle trip fondly includes Puget Sound, the fish market, the first Starbucks, and....Ikea. Definitely a tourist attraction to me!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannie in NJ Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 our Ikea is a couple of hours away. Whenever we go, we automatically invite sil to go with us as we all consider this to be a major road trip full of fun. One time sil and her dh who have an online business, their internet was down so they went to breakfast and then made a trip to Ikea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I wouldn't think the signage is not touristy so much as for bringing in shoppers who are coming from quite a distance. (which was helpful as I was there sat night. it would have been more helpful if they had better signage on how to get back to the freeway northbound!) I know there can be ALOT of shoppers who come down from Vancouver. places can have themselves listed as tourist attraction, including with the local chambers of commerce to bring in potential customers. anything that get's listed with them is providing the 'come see us' materials themselves, and it's all about generating traffic. Our local IKEA is listed as a tourist attraction with a sign on the freeway and everything. Just a lighthearted thread to see if you think that IKEA is a tourist attraction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Ha ha I guess it is. When we go to Canada we stop in at IKEA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Ikea is a hell realm. Necessary at times but on the whole a place to be avoided. I realize I'm in the minority here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forget-Me-Not Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I wouldn't say it's a tourist attraction, but it makes a great rest stop when we are on a road trip. We get out, stretch our legs, take a walk through the store, visit the nice clean bathrooms, hit the cafe for a cheap meal, take a bag of meatballs home if we have an ice chest, etc. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted June 17, 2014 Author Share Posted June 17, 2014 Ikea is a hell realm. Necessary at times but on the whole a place to be avoided. I realize I'm in the minority here. I have a feeling you voted "other". ;) :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrittanyM Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Our closest IKEA is three hours away but I often plan into our vacations a trip there. We visit at least once a year and I love it. I wouldn't say it is a tourist attraction but it is a great place to shop! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 we do that with Costco - and there are more of them. or at least, more in places where we go. they have very clean restrooms - and I love their dyson hand dryers, they're *very* fast. they also have food. I did buy ds some Swedish fish. he was trying to figure out where they came from. they weren't stale . . . . I wouldn't say it's a tourist attraction, but it makes a great rest stop when we are on a road trip. We get out, stretch our legs, take a walk through the store, visit the nice clean bathrooms, hit the cafe for a cheap meal, take a bag of meatballs home if we have an ice chest, etc. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camelfeet Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 No. It is a chain store with 300+ locations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I have a feeling you voted "other". ;) :lol: :smilielol5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraidycat Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 They are very spread out, not a store in every city yet, so I vote yes. As a matter of fact, just today my sister told my friend (both are visiting from Canada) that IKEA is not a store, IKEA is an experience. We were discussing whether or not we should make a stop at IKEA during their visit. :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 In my mind, it's just a store, but maybe that's because we don't live hours and hours away from one. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I live between two Ikeas. I can be at either one in less than 30 minutes. I just wanted to brag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 They are very spread out, not a store in every city yet, so I vote yes. As a matter of fact, just today my sister told my friend (both are visiting from Canada) that IKEA is not a store, IKEA is an experience. We were discussing whether or not we should make a stop at IKEA during their visit. :P I agree. There is not even a store in some states. Obviously if you're visiting L.A. from Chicago then IKEA is not a tourist attraction but if you're visiting from a rural area then it definitely could be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Other- I have never seen or been in an IKEA. I believe there are some around Melbourne, but I very rarely go to Melbourne and when I do I don't really go shopping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hannah Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 We had some relatives visiting recently from a country with no IKEA. My mom wanted me to take them there but I just stared at her (in real astonishment) and she dropped it. So I guess she thinks it's an attraction. We don't have Ikea here and when I visit my sisters they always ask if we're doing an Ikea day. The problem is that I want to buy stuff and luggage restrictions don't allow that....but our family stories do include one of me bringing back a wooden toilet seat in my luggage one year!! Bought for a bargain price at Ikea. We still use it. I live between two Ikeas. I can be at either one in less than 30 minutes. I just wanted to brag. Oh, that's just mean :drool: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elinnea Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 When we lived in Germany we'd take people who were visiting from the U.S. to IKEA. Most of our visitors didn't have an IKEA near them in the States though so it was something new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Considering it's 2 am and I was just browsing IKEA's website adding to my list for the new store opening about an hour away, and I plan on making it a field trip with Ds and my mom, probably a bit touristy for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 No. Our closest IKEA is a 6 hour drive. We combine it with something touristy or bureaucratic errand because that's too far to drive for just shopping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowan Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I miss IKEA. Where we used to live, it was 15 minutes away. Even my son, who HATES going shopping in any way, shape, or form, loved going to IKEA. Now that the closest one is 4 hours away, it *feels* like a tourist attraction! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I used "other" mainly because I don't consider them to be "great shopping" or a tourist attraction... but I'm not a shopping lover so YMMV. I don't consider malls to be tourist attractions either. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavender's green Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 When I was in Germany my host family brought me to Ikea! I don't think it was nearly as well-known in America back then. It was quite an adventure! And a nice change of pace from normal touristy stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Well it is good at marketing! I will say, when I was a kid, it was fun to go to ikea. Seeing all the set up rooms and whimsy makes for an entertaining hour if you haven't been in a few years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I hate Ikea but I've visited it in London, Hong Kong and Edinburgh. Our kitchen came from Ikea and we are really pleased with it, despite having the spend three full days at the shop to sort it out. Our nearest one now is a bit over an hour away. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AHASRADA Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I grew up in a state with no Ikea. It was a big deal, when we moved here, to be able to visit one. When guests come to visit, my kids always exclaim, "Ooh, we have to bring them to Ikea!!" We've never bought anything there, the kids just like the maze of furnished rooms and the very inexpensive ice cream and soda, so it's a treat for them. So, for us and our family from back home without an Ikea, it is a tourist attraction, or at least an experience. And yes, I too have the luxury of being about 30 min. between 2 Ikeas :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 When I flew into Philly a couple of years ago, my mom picked me up and we went directly to IKEA. I saw another woman from the plane there too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 The very first time we heard about IKEA in 1998 when we moved to New Jersey, it was described as a tourist attraction to us. And we did end up walking through the whole thing before we left NJ, although we didn't see what all the fuss was about. They're a lot more common now, so I don't think they're as much of a tourist attraction now. Now IKEA reminds me of my Swedish friend who was delighted when one opened in the town we were living in at the time so she could get real Swedish food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsMommy Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I can't answer, since I've never been to an Ikea, and I have no idea. But, St. Louis is getting an Ikea (next year or the year after...can't remember)...should I be excited? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmiraGulch Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I honestly don't get the draw. There's one 15 minutes from my house. I go about once a year to get bulbs for a light fixture I bought there, because you cannot buy them anywhere else. If I didn't have to go for that, I'd never go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I can get to three different Ikeas in an hour or less of driving, so it always seems a bit silly to me, but yes, I recognize that it's a destination for out of town visitors who aren't so lucky in their Ikea proximity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I would say yes, though I've never been to an Ikea. But if I were in a city that had one, I'd definitely stop by and do some wandering around. When we go on our annual vacation, we always stop by Outdoor World/Bass Pro Shop. It's ginormous, tons of stuff to look at, and my kids love the large aquarium tank at the rear of the store. We rarely buy anything (we don't hunt or fish, LOL, though we drool over the kayaks and canoes) but we consider it part of our annual vacation. So -- another big store that we visit as "tourists." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I honestly don't get the draw. There's one 15 minutes from my house. I go about once a year to get bulbs for a light fixture I bought there, because you cannot buy them anywhere else. If I didn't have to go for that, I'd never go. My daughter and I study Swedish, so it's a cool destination for us because there's Swedish everywhere. Last time I went I spent more time looking at the books in Swedish in the display rooms than anything that was for sale! Plus, the food is cheap and good, and we can buy real Swedish treats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I've never been to one, so it would be for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyerin Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Absolutely a tourist destination! I lived in Houston for years and took Ikea for granted. Now I live 6 hours from Houston, but that's still my closest Ikea. Friends from here go to vacation in Houston. Their list when they're there? Children's Museum, beach at Galvestion, Ikea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I went to one many miles away from home but I was shopping for a kitchen. My mom and I were doing the Napa wine tour and stopped by an IKEA to look at the cabinets. Mom always likes to "help me spend my money". I then ordered it and had it delivered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Amusingly, I used to work in a Boeing Building RIGHT NEXT to IKEA. But I never visited it until after my workplace had changed to a different location. Now we live 15 minutes from a different IKEA and I *love* that (though we don't go that often -- it still takes time to get in and out. But even though we were there Saturday I can consider going back tonight. Or tomorrow night. because my daughter needs a shelf in her room to keep her from playing with her new alarm clock.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 We have an IKEA about 15 minutes away. I went there *one* time, to look at something I had seen on the website. It was a nightmare. It was only a few weeks after it had opened and so there were people (supposedly) directing traffic - the parking garage was more annoying than the airport parking garage. Then, getting inside the correct door was a challenge. Then, the place seemed to operate in a one-way-only manner, like there was one path winding through the store. After I found what I wanted to look at, I couldn't just scoot out - I had to find my way and wait for the seven people with the strollers in front of me on the winding path. I tried shortcuts to no avail and ended up in places that weren't helpful. Maybe I did it all wrong, but whatever I was supposed to do was not obvious. I value time and efficiency in shopping and the IKEA store was not that. So, maybe it IS a tourist attraction. I have no plans to go there ever again unless I really, really want something specific from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daffodil Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 For me, yes! The nearest Ikea is hours away, and I've never been. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OH_Homeschooler Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 If I happen to be somewhere with an IKEA, and also have time to kill, I'll go because we don't have any nearby and it's therefore a novelty. But I wouldn't go somewhere just for the sake of visiting IKEA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 After I found what I wanted to look at, I couldn't just scoot out - I had to find my way and wait for the seven people with the strollers in front of me on the winding path. I tried shortcuts to no avail and ended up in places that weren't helpful. Maybe I did it all wrong, but whatever I was supposed to do was not obvious. Nope, you didn't do it wrong at all. You just had a typical IKEA experience. I liken it to being in a house of mirrors. You think you've found the way out only to discover, by bumping your head repeatedly, that it's a mirror. Continue in this manner about a dozen times, accompanied by children, and complete the experience with the addition of a large unwieldy cart piled with the enticement of heavy flat objects that you'll spend several hours assembling once home. Of course getting home won't happen until you've gotten all the seats down in the car in an effort to manipulate your purchases in and figured out seating arrangements for your passengers, throw in a few Swedish meatballs and you've done Ikea :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I would say yes, though I've never been to an Ikea. But if I were in a city that had one, I'd definitely stop by and do some wandering around. When we go on our annual vacation, we always stop by Outdoor World/Bass Pro Shop. It's ginormous, tons of stuff to look at, and my kids love the large aquarium tank at the rear of the store. We rarely buy anything (we don't hunt or fish, LOL, though we drool over the kayaks and canoes) but we consider it part of our annual vacation. So -- another big store that we visit as "tourists." I once had a first date with a guy to an Outdoor World. It rates as my best first date ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Kinda. I used to take dd a lot when I was home with her as a toddler and preschooler. We had lots of meatball lunches. It was fun to go to the play area and eat in the restaurant, and see the rooms set up. I like their stuff. But it's not really a tourist attraction to me. I guess I don't see outlet malls that way, either--and those seem to be destinations for tourists. Our Ikea is right next to a large outlet mall--I guess tourists have it made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nrg Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Years ago, at our first visit to an Ikea, my children called it "Pirates of the Carribbean," after the ride at Disneyland. You twist around, following a winding path with too much too see the first time through. Truly a tourist attraction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeindeed Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I voted yes because it would be a tourist attraction to me. ;) We don't have one near me and I've never been to one, so I'd love to have a tour of Ikea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 I honestly had no idea Ikea was a big deal. We pass the one that is two hours away often but have never stopped. I've never had anyone I know IRL even mention Ikea. I may stop in next time we pass by just to see what the all the fuss is about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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