Ikea prices

[a.foreman]

Is the furniture in Ikea France the same price as in Ikea England

[Anton Redman]

No - things have varied by as much as 50% in either direction in the past. I believe some of the French stores are franchised and they have to guess Sterling/Euro/Other Exchange Rates about 15 months forward.

The catalogues are almost identical and you can price check on line

[Cat]

One very noticeable difference is that sofa-beds are much more expensive in Ikea France. 

But then again, when you look at the truly horrible "click-clack" designs available elsewhere in France, maybe Ikea think they just can't lose

[Val_2]

What is it about this IKEA company that seems to have everyone raving? I have never seen or been to one of their shops as we left the UK before they obviously became very popular although I believe there was one in Hammersmith which was a good hour on the train from us. I did hear about a riot at a new shop in north London a few weeks back where someone even got stabbed in the rush to get inside but no one will tell me anything about these stores and what exactly they sell.

[a.foreman]

its not every one's cup of tea but we like the designs

to us its looks better than MFI

 its all down to what you want

And the price is not bad

[Maddie]

My sister introduced me to IKEA about 20 years ago when she first moved to Paris. She fitted out her entire appartment using IKEA furniture!  You could furnish and equip an entire home from IKEA then and now. 

I've furnished much of my own home and my letting accommodation with IKEA furniture and have found most of it to be decent quality, simple and functional in design.    Many of my guests have commented favourably on the quality and sturdiness of the furnishing, especially the fitted kitchen. You just need to ensure you mix and match your accessories with stuff not from IKEA or you end up looking like the interior of an IKEA store!

For pots, pans, kitchen equipment, glass and china, linens and rugs I don't think you can beat it, especially if you're working to a tight budget. (My whole life, it seems, runs on a tight budget!!!)

Check out their websites www.ikea.co.uk or www.ikea.fr (BTW I found the kitchens to be cheaper in the UK).

Even my parents (in their late 60s), who previously would only ever consider buying antique and period furniture, have funished their new home a lot of stuff from IKEA!  My Dad has become a recent convert and is now quite an addict!

[a.foreman]

Thanks Mrs MDW   just checked out the prices on the 2 website's for Ikea

and found its a lot cheaper in France 

[Miki]

[quote]What is it about this IKEA company that seems to have everyone raving? I have never seen or been to one of their shops as we left the UK before they obviously became very popular although I believe th...[/quote]

Val,

First shop opened in France in 1981 and in the UK in 1987.

We visited the one in Wembley soon after it opened and indeed took some beds and other bits to France with us.

You would have been in the UK at the time but probably didn't notice. There isn't one in Hammersmith, you were probably thinking of Wembley. Flipping mad house in January for the sales and no, not even the meatballs would entice me there for the sales !! (They do cheap lunches, which sometimes include meatballs Val !!)

When IKEA come to Rennes, I am sure Tina wil be a regular visitor, it is OK. People knock it, in the way they knocked ABBA, can't be seen to be foot tapping but when no ones about...........

[Tony the Turner]

The price differential which is found at IKEA is not uncommon. Castorama and B&Q are part of the same group but common items vary in price. The advantage of the 'net is that you can compare prices and decide whether to make a purchase in the UK or France if you have the option. Don't knock the variations. If the stores cotton on they may standardise prices - guess which way!

[Val_2]

Thanks for the explainations everyone. Sounds a bit like Habitat, we had one of those where we lived but it was expensive and not that child friendly I seem to remember where wear and tear were concerned.

[Mpprh]

Hmm

Interesting to note that Habitat is owned by IKEA.

Seen as one of the few failures in the IKEA world. Why did they buy it? They haven't capitalised on either city centre locations, or a very different product range. Meanwhile Habitat continue in upmarket (and in town) European shopping centres.

Peter

 

[letrangere]

Interesting to note that Habitat is owned by IKEA.

I didn't know that, Peter, since when?  Wasn't Habitat originally owned by James Conran?  Anyone remember the original shop on Tottenham Court Road?  My goodness, was that the place to shop in the early 70s.  I haven't been in a British branch in years but the one in Paris is fab.

Agree with MDW re kitchen accessories, china, etc.  Ikea is incredibly cheap and not bad quality either for these items.  Bed linen too, and lamps, etc.  I think some of their beds and sofas, especially in the upper price brackets, are not particularly good value though, even at non-UK store prices.  What I like best about Ikea though is that you can visit friends in any corner of the globe and still sit on Agen wicker chairs and see their books stored on good old Billy bookcases.

M

 

[YCCMB]

Did anyone see the prog on the BBC a few weeks ago (Easter week, I think, as we were in France) called "Ikea drives me crazy"?

It wasn't particularly brilliant or informative - very "light" entertainment - but summed up Ikea quite well. The main conclusion, which was quite fair, I thought, is that most of us can't help going there even if we hate it!

We furnished our entire house in France - give or take a few items and white/electrical goods - from Ikea. It was the easiest and cheapest way to sort out furnishing in the shortest possible time. Of course, as I've said before, the negative part was building the b...stuff afterwards. Although there are some variations in price (dining tables etc., seem dearer in France, probably because they are considered a far more essential/important piece of kit in any French home), we seemed to break about even over the whole lot, comparing UK and French prices.

It's not to everyone's taste, but as we rent our house out I wouldn't feel too happy if holiday tenants ruined  lovely antique/rustic furniture, but I don't mind if they trash the Ikea stuff. In fact, I have 2 adolescent boys who haven't managed to trash Ikea furniture, so I am fairly confident that it's sturdy stuff!!

Laughed at the Habitat bits on this thread! We always used to joke that the Habitat sale was a place you could find a bag of broken china that was once a teapot, with 50p knocked off the original price!

Jane

[letrangere]

We always used to joke that the Habitat sale was a place you could find a bag of broken china that was once a teapot, with 50p knocked off the original price!

Many know it as Shabitat.  M

[YCCMB]

LOL!Having once paid for a coffee table in Habitat (honestly, it really was the only place I could find one I liked) they then didn't have it in stock.I waited MONTHS only to be told they couldn't get any more, during which time they had my money. They ultimately refunded the money and, following a letter to their management in which I promised never to shop there again, sent me some Habitat vouchers as compensation!!!!!!!

As a consequence, I've always referred to its founder as Terence Conman!

Jane

 

[Dick Smith]

I think the Shabbytat line is unfair - at least of early Habitat. We still have a Habitat Chesterfield which is over 25 years old and going strong - just ready for it's 3rd recovering, and we still use Habitat crockery and cutlery bought 25-30 years ago.

[Boghound]

[quote]I think the Shabbytat line is unfair - at least of early Habitat. We still have a Habitat Chesterfield which is over 25 years old and going strong - just ready for it's 3rd recovering, and we still us...[/quote]

I'm rather curious as how a Chesterfield can still be going strong and yet ready for it's third covering.

[Maddie]

I've only ever bought two things in Habitat (funnily enough we always used to call it Shabitat too!) a coffee table (which turned out, when delivered, to be flat pack despite the enormous cost and was ten times more complicated to put together than IKEA stuff ) and some shelves - "laminated" pine on two wrought-iron, free-standing supports.  I've subsequently had the wrought iron shelves copied several times by a local blacksmith and now they the most useful items of furniture I possess!

[Paul Bradford]

Hi,

I have bought some items in Ikea at Thurrock which were also priced in euros. The prices seemed similar. However, you don't seem to see very low sale prices they have in England repeated in France.

Paul

[letrangere]

We still have a Habitat Chesterfield which is over 25 years old and going strong

Odd you mention that, I've got a slightly younger one just across the room from me only on its second re-upholstery, perhaps due to the throw we cover it with.  But a friend's fitted kitchen purchased only a couple of years later began to look tatty very quickly.  Perhaps one of these over-educated people being discussed elsewhere should write a thesis on Habitat furniture, quality degeneration down the ages.  M