Finally, Ikea Philippines is now open! I’ve always been curious about Ikea as it is popular around the world for its affordable and eye-pleasing furniture and home items. Ikea did not disappoint. Ang saya! The prices are really low for each item’s size and quality, compared to department stores or furniture stores. Imagine having minimalist standing lamp for less than a Php1,000? Or rugs at Php50? They have everything for maximalists, minimalists, living solo, condo owners, plant parents, ,etc.. This is like a haven for Home Buddies, Titos and Titas of Manila.
I went there with my sister-in-law on a Sunday, and with a mission: to buy a specific number of furniture and floor lamps. I honestly did not intend to blog about it kasi ang focus ko talaga ay makuha yung items sa listahan ko at umalis agad para limited time sa store, which limits my possible exposure to the virus. Thus, sorry if I will not have that much photo to show especially if I am explaining something.
Here are some tips that I would like to share if you intend to go there now while it is still at its hype (because I honestly think that the situation will eventually be better once the excitement dies down):
General tips:
- Try to book a morning slot, especially if you are buying furniture because stocks run out – due to Covid restrictions, Ikea has a “No booking, No shopping”, policy (insert Bianca Gonzalez and Aunt Julie voices and hand gestures). This is suppose to control the number of people inside the store at the same time. Well, marami pa ring tao. But then again, naisip ko, if not for the booking which they are very strict on checking before you come in, baka mas marami pa ang tao, ung mala-Divisoria level.
- Be ready physically (and mentally
) for long lines – legit ang balita na mahaba ng pila haha.. sa entrance, sa cashier, sa invoicing area (more of this on my blog about furniture shopping) , and of course sa famous Swedish Restaurant for the meatballs. - Wear comfortable shoes. Your feet will thank you for it even two days after. – The shopping area is two floors only, however, it doesn’t mean that it is not tiring. Sobrang daming lakad pa rin, especially because of its layout na parang maze na maraming pasikot-sikot. I had almost 10,000 steps in there alone and to think nag-shortcut pa ako ng maraming beses (more of that later).
- Eat a heavy meal before going there. – Once you get inside the store, you can only exit through the cashier and there is no re-entry. So better be full as you will definitely burn those while inside the store.
- If possible, have a list of what you will buy before going there, as it can get pretty overwhelming – a general list will do; what you need, for home, for gifts. If you will be buying items specifically for a space, have your dimensions ready. It will also helpful if you browse their website prior to going to the store, take a screenshot of the items that you like. Ideally, one way traffic lang. So from the entrance, you are advised to follow the white arrows. Maganda ang may listahan para pagnadaanan mo na, kunin mo na. Believe me, mahirap bumalik. may instance pa na hassle because they won’t allow you to take your cart if gusto mo bumalik sa showroom.
- Remember, Ikea is almost a self-service store – nakadisplay ang model units then for majority of the items at ikaw ang maghahanap at kukuha sa shelf. As Filipinos, let us not try to change this by constantly asking the staff to get things for us, unless really necessary.
- The store layout and product placements are meant to entice you to keep on adding items to your cart. So be very careful and do not be an impulsive buyer. – the flow of the store is intelligently planned and executed to lure customers into buying so much. There is specifically an area there called “Open The Wallet” section wherein household items are super cheap (like Php50 drinking glasses, Php100 chopping board, bundle hand towels) that it will make you feel na sayang if hindi ka bibili. Super mura nga at feeling mo malaki ang matitipid mo but you might regret it afterwards dahil bumili ka ng mga bagay na hindi mo kailangan.
- Speaking of floor layout, you can actually make your walking time shorter by taking shortcuts – If you have specific items in mind already, you can go directly through it by either looking at the signage guides hanged all over the store (shortcuts are those in dotted lines), or ask the staff. They can tell you how to get there much faster without having to really go around the maze-like path.
- If in doubt, don’t buy BUT take a photo, then later order it the website – this was my mindset when I went there and it has saved me a lot of money kasi binalik ko yung mga kinuha ko na wala sa list ko, and I knew I made a wise decision once I got out of the store. I think my husband was even happier hahaha!
- The place is high-risk area for virus, especially for the unvaccinated so think twice before bringing your kids – Ikea is a store and naturally, people are touching the products. Can you imagine how many has already held that vase or touched that couch? I doubt if the staff sprays alcohol on all the items there considering that it can ruin the product. So please be very extra careful and vigilant.
- Be patient and have fun – as Ikea’s concept is quite new in the Philippines, may mga instance talaga na nakakapanibago at may mararamdaman kang inconvenience.. Siguro kasama na rin kasi duon yung marami kang kasabay na bumibili so may mga unavailable at sold out items. Be patient and just try to enjoy the experience as much as you can. Learn from the experiences and tips of others, para mas mapadali ang shopping experience mo.
Worth praising: The staff here are super patient and accommodating. Some of the inconveniences at init ng ulo ng customers ay because of the process or the store system at hindi kasalanan ng staff but they were so patient and helpful. As much as they can, tutulungan ka nila to make things easier for you.
I did not actually get to buy a lot of home items because I was really there for the furniture and lamps. I will post another blog about my furniture shopping experience as it is quite a lengthy one.
Overall, my Ikea experience was “successful” as I was able to buy almost everything that I needed from the store. Was it worth going there at this time? Yes, only because I needed those pieces of furniture now. If not, it will definitely not hurt to wait it out until there are a smaller number of shoppers. Just like yung mga ibang bagay na pinilahan nating mga Pinoy before (donuts, milk tea, Nike store), I think the excitement over Ikea will definitely die down. So before going there, ask yourself if the reward will outweigh the risk that you will take.