IKEA Belfast - Saturday?

Has anyone been to IKEA in Belfast on a Saturday? Am I crazy to think about going this Saturday?

Yep I've been - plent of parking and the store is almost like a one way system in which you follow a path with arrows. No trolleys, etc are allowed on teh shopping floors so at least your not bumping into people with their flat-packs!! You take a note of what you want from the IKEA checklist and pick it up on the way out. There are bags availableif you wish to pick up smaller stuff as you walk round. If its kicjens your into there are computers so you can design your own. Pretty cool.
It's not as big as what I thought it was going to be but it has some "funky" furniture and is well layed out.
Enjoy.

ya try get there as early as possible...I think before 11-12 and you should be ok

Heard an ad on radio this morning for [broken link removed] running a service now to IKEA.

Jim Power was on the radio the other day saying that he found the idea of this bus route operating "disgusting"!

Does anyone know if they offer a delivery service to the Republic?

Beatrix said:

Does anyone know if they offer a delivery service to the Republic?

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This thread may answer your question.

Doesn't look like it.

View delivery details and prices

Perhaps call them and check?

Was up there last Friday and it was very easily negotiable, but then the weather was pretty rotten so that may have had something to do with it! I think weekends will be much more busy than weekdays no matter what.

In case it's any help to you, this is my little trip report:

Upstairs is the "show floor" where you follow the one-way route and visit various "rooms", kitchens, bedrooms, livingrooms etc. You can take note of any items you like, the ones with a yellow label are easily picked up downstairs, the red label items will need to be brought to you.

Downstairs (where you can have a trolley) is really like a large department store, but like upstairs there is a "one way system" - you don't really have to follow it but if you do you won't miss any departments. First there are kitchenware items, cutlery, plates, pots & pans etc., then soft furnishings - cushions, bedding, curtains, then bathroom, followed by lighting and so on.

The restaurant is on the upstairs floor, they do NOT take euros (yet?) and if you want to use plastic there is a 70p charge (actually this applies to any purchases in IKEA Belfast). It gets very busy at 12.30ish, we went at 1.30 at which point the vegetarian option had run out and all they could offer was a large portion of the (kids) pasta and tomato sauce. Other half had the meatballs. Both could best be described as mediocre, but we were hungry and it sufficed. Prices were fairly reasonable.

We picked up some kitchen items at very good prices, and now that we know how the IKEA experience works, we will be going there again. But I think we will try to avoid weekends.

TreeTiger said:

like upstairs there is a "one way system" - you don't really have to follow it

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That's nice of them. I always assumed that "the many people" had to leave their free will at the door on entering an IKEA place of worship.

Are ye all certain ye are shopping in the right store because according to Pat Kenny there is a different pronunciation of the name and instead of EYEKEA it should be called ICKEA.

ClubMan said:

That's nice of them. I always assumed that "the many people" had to leave their free will at the door on entering an IKEA place of worship.

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Nah, these "ICKY" people are very clever. They even have signs saying things like "shortcut to restaurant" "toilets" just so the worshippers think they are actually making decisions for themselves. And to make the experience utterly awesome (aweful?), you can get a catalogue free!

I was there yesterday and it was possible to walk zig-zag where I liked, when I liked and as many times as I liked. Very helpful staff, food very good value, lots of interesting home accessories; overall a very well run store where there are plenty of good deals to be had for sturdy, practical furniture at affordable prices. They now accept Laser Cards and Yes, they do deliverf to the Republic. I think its E50 per large trolley, delivery within 7 days.

To me it looks like they charge £100 for delivery to Dublin for two trolleys, and 50 for any additional trolley.

hi all

we are thinking about travelling up to ikea in a couple of months (when we have a roof and doors and windows of course!!)

is it worth going to? (travelling from waterford to belfast)

thanks

Hi, we thought the kitchen utensils, walk in wardrobe shelving, picture frames, pillows, chairs etc., that kind of stuff very reasonable and they have a lot of quirky designs (look expensive) but as far as other stuff like beds, lights, linen, some sofa's (not all), they were expensive and not very nice, but then again that is my opinion.
So the outcome is that we are going to go back up to ikea to get our wardrobe shelving, pict frames, etc as mentioned above, they have some nice big plants aswell which are very reasonable compared to garden centres but we are going to Argos for our lights, bathroom stuff (towel rails, mats etc), get some guest beds, mattresses, curtains. Argos stuff has a larger and nicer selection at a way more reasonable price. It's up to you though, as both stores can be quite similar in places although admitting Ikea is more trendy. They tend to fair out at the same price also, so it's up to you to decide which you would go but overall, my opinion, if you go to ikea, get the latest Argos catalogue and compare your prices there and then and also bring a calculator converter if you are not sure on Stg to Euro.

Anyone bought any beds or sofas from IKEA? I'm think of pretty much furnishing my 2 bed apt in one foul swoop from there but I'm worried about comfort! Apart from the delivery/hiring a van dilemma, it all seems too good to be true!

did the ikea run twice, once to Warrington about 6yrs ago and Belfast a fortnight ago. Have bought a bed there and i've found it extremely comfortable, specially if you buy the extra mattress pad to put on top of the mattress. Love the way you can furnish a room all in one fell swoop - if you can afford to, that is. Also we bought additional bedroom furniture to match the stuff we bought 6yrs ago so its good that the stuff is still stocked in the catalogue.
If u were to go to Belfast, Rose, be sure and have adequate transport with you cos some of the stuff, even tho it is flatpacked, can be unwieldy. Me...I really enjoy a days shopping in Ikea and would recommend it highly.

If you go to Ikea at a weekend, you will have hands full of junk for the kitchen, but may leave with a significant relationship in tatters!
Happened me, and a fair few other exasperated couples that I saw there on a wet, dreary Sunday recently.
When the queue for the food court is long, the toddlers fret, and you face a drive back down south, you realise that Dunnes has just as good homeware!