Visiting Ikea on Bank Holiday Monday - will it be a nightmare?

BlondeHeadOn

I have never been to Ikea before, but am planning to go the store in Southampton on this coming Bank Holiday Monday.

I have no idea what to expect - will it be rammed with people do you think?

The other option is to go on Tuesday instead (the day after Easter Monday), if that would be a better idea. (I don't like shopping at the best of times, but unfortunately can't avoid going to Ikea soon.)

Any help from fellow MSE-ers would be gratefully accepted!


(Mods: I didn't know the best place to put this, so please move if there is a better forum.)

doodle-bug_2

Yes - a nightmare! But worth going around.
If I need to go to Ikea (our nearest is around 60 miles away) then we go on an evening. Pick my husband up from work and go straight there - they are normally open late.

onomatopoeia99

If I have to go to the Bristol IKEA, I do it on a weekday evening, generally much quieter than daytimes (I tried in my lunchbreak on a normal working day, big mistake!) or weekends.

emg

traffic into southampton is dreadful on weekends and bank holidays. If you are coming from out of town I would suggest you do it either right at the beginning of the day or right at the end.

heuchera

BlondeHeadOn wrote: »

I have never been to Ikea before, but am planning to go the store in Southampton on this coming Bank Holiday Monday.

I have no idea what to expect - will it be rammed with people do you think?

The other option is to go on Tuesday instead (the day after Easter Monday), if that would be a better idea. (I don't like shopping at the best of times, but unfortunately can't avoid going to Ikea soon.)

Any help from fellow MSE-ers would be gratefully accepted!

That one is my nearest IKEA though it's still not particularly near

I can imagine it will be absolutely chocka on a Bank Holiday weekend. I think I would go on the Tuesday if it were me.

millysg1

Southampton IKEA is my closes and I wouldn't go on bank holiday Monday. Majority of that reason is the traffic and parking on a bank holiday. It's can be bad at the weekend anyway but bank holiday will be so much worse as the are a lot of shops round there people will be visiting. IKEA will be busy, and as its your first, so you won't know where to go directly, I think it may be bit astressful.

LilElvis

I live a couple of miles away from a branch of IKEA and don't go near it at weekends or school holidays because it is always packed, parking near impossible and the queues at the tills stretching back for what seems like miles. If you are planning on getting quite a few things, and want to have a proper look when choosing, then I would take a day off in term time and go then. Don't forget to sign up for a Family card as you get discounts on some items, free coffee and money off in the restaurant (love an IKEA cheap breakfast!).

JP08

Quite honestly, wouldn't go near the place on a Bank Holiday. It will be a seething mass (and that's just the car park).

Saying that, have given up on Ikea full stop now. The combination of the lighting, smell of man made materials, and the sheer number of roundabouts to get to our nearest store (Milton Keynes) makes the missus extremely nauseous - and that's without consuming the meatballs ...

partialycloudy

We always go late in the evening much quieter....also you can always order on line, which we have had to do since the stuff we wanted wouldn't fit in the car!

DS4215

JP08 wrote: »

Saying that, have given up on Ikea full stop now. The combination of the lighting, smell of man made materials, and the sheer number of roundabouts to get to our nearest store (Milton Keynes) makes the missus extremely nauseous - and that's without consuming the meatballs ...

Never tried the meatballs, but I can't seem to walk of IKEA out without a hotdog

SailorSam

The man who designed Ikea was so clever, once they get you through the door they don't let you out until you've followed the arrows to walk all around the store and pick up all those impulse buys that seem to be a good idea, but you never went in for.