[climber_grrl]

1. IKEA Costa Mesa, CA - On South Coast Plaza Dr. between Fairview (to the south) and Harbor (to the north)
2. Returns Desk - 714.751.7167 x1466
They have all the spare parts here.
3. M-F mornings/lunch. Avoid Sat/Sun like the plague.
4. I like to park on the small south side parking lot. I never have to fight for a spot and it's an easy walk down the front sidewalk to the front door.
5. No info on Smalland
6. I think the shortcut to kitchens is gone.
7. Enter the exit doors near the hot dogs/cinnamon rolls and go backwards through the left most check out line. The As-Is can be found right next to the checkout lines. Make sure to look at the racks in front of the As-Is door, too. That's where they put the new merchandise that's discontinued and priced to go fast.
8. Don't know any tips/tricks. I always play by the rules so I don't find out about the cheats. LOL

[Shar]

(I'll do this in pieces; we're going out to get a Christmas tree soon so time is short)

1. Store name/location
Ikea Canton
41640 Ford Road
Canton, MI 48187

3. Best time/day to visit - also, times to avoid

Best: *As soon* as they open (10:00 a.m.). Beautiful time, lots of parking.
Worst: Weekends, esp. Saturday

4. Best parking place!

Family Parking, right next to the building. (Don't have to cross the road with little kids)

6. Shortcuts to Kitchens, etc.

Best shortcut is from Kitchens to check-out (they claim they can't ring you up in Kitchens, so you have to go down): go around wall with countertop/granite samples, go left through Rationall display. Main directional (ceiling) arrow sign will point left. Go in direction of sign, up to mirror display. Turn *Right*. There's a cleverly hidden staircase that drops you right at the self-serve area, a short walk to the registers.

7. How to get to AS-IS

In rear of customer service / returns area, near checkout.

Cool kitchen lady: Missy O.

Also, be sure to check out the kitchen with the infamous orange countertop

[laura]

1. Etobicoke, Ontario
2. 416.646.8182 x 313,314,440 - kitchens, 444 kitchen expeditor
3. Weekday afternoon and early evening
4. Lower level
5. One hour
6. At top of escalator - hard left - through bookcases,etc. into dining - hard left to kitchens
7. AS-IS - on right hand side before cash
8. Orders can be rung up in kitchen dept. - usually a sign-up list - see Stefan for design/build help

[laura]

1. Vaughan, Ontario
2. 905.695.3699 x 2926 - kitchens, 2929 - kitchen expeditor
3. Weekdays - any time
4. Close to the returns entrance
5. One hour
6. At top of escalator - go to living room dept - shortcut to dining, hard left to kitchens
7. AS-IS - on right hand side before cash
8. Some coworkers can ring up a sale in kitchens - see Roland for design/build help

[NBeth]

1. Store name/location: East Palo Alto, 101 to the University Ave exit, east. Very big sign and blue store visible just before exit heading north.

2. Sorry don't know any special phone #s

3. Best time/day to visit EDIT: tried this Sunday right after opening at 10am and it was very good! Great parking, immediate help in kitchens, no wait to pay, 10 minutes to pickup kitchen stuff . But by the time we poked around briefly and picked up our stuff, it was already much busier.

4. Best parking place: main level near family seems good.

5. Avg. time allowed for Smalland deposits: don't know.

6. Shortcuts to Kitchens, etc: EDIT: seems like ours is like a lot of others--go left instead of following the arrows to the right. You'll pass the cafeteria on your left and head into kids on your right. Stick to the right hand wall and look for those nylon wall storage doohickies in bright colors: there's a door right there that takes you to closet fixings (Antonius etc.). From there head to tables and right to kitchens.

7. How to get to AS-IS: Go in the entrance for returns. Enter main floor marketplace, skirting left of checkout, and go left. EDIT: they had glass doorfronts Askerum doorfronts for $1 yesterday in the size we need! We're going to try stripping and painting to match the Stat color.

8. Other tips/tricks, like I know in my store they can ring you up in Kitchens so you don't have to hoof it downstairs and then wait an hour and a half for Cash and Carry. What secrets do you know?

I wish we could do that! Can't even get them to accept a phone order for pickup EDIT: I don't know her name but there's woman in kitchens with dark hair and a UK accent who seems sharper than many others. Try to get her if you can.

NBeth

[GardenOfDarwin]

Thanks climber_grrl, Shar, laura and Nbeth! Every little bit helps.

I am kind of shy on Canadian stores, so if anyone reading shops at a Canadian store (or more than 1), please, please, pretty please fill in a survey? Thanks!

Susan

[DulcineaK]

1. Store name/location
2. Don't worry about regular phone numbers - I can find those, but if you know the voice menu #'s to get directly to kitchens, work, store manager, etc. that would be great! Extensions for the Kitchen Expeditor or After Sales would be great info also. FAX #'s.
--Don't know any #s, any time I've tried to call I haven't gotten through. Maybe this is the tip, don't even TRY to call.

3. Best time/day to visit - also, times to avoid
--First thing in the morning, especially if you want to meet with a kitchen person or make returns. I avoid mid-morning and early afternoon most days. and entire weekend days.

4. Best parking place!
--Family friendly parking in the handicap area if you're shopping with small kids.

5. Avg. time allowed for Smalland deposits.
No idea

6. Shortcuts to Kitchens, etc.
--Go through the entrance, up the escalator, turn left past the cafe. Through kids and you're in kitchens. Place your order (they WON'T let you pay there) go back to where the escalator brought you (NOT the elevator by the staircase), there is an elevator which will take you back down to the entry. Go outside (only works if you're just entering your kitchen order) turn right, go into the exit and pay for your kitchen. This lets you shop the rest of the store while your kitchen is being pulled.

7. How to get to AS-IS
--Go through the exit, past the cashiers, AS-IS is on your left

8. Other tips/tricks, like I know in my store they can ring you up in Kitchens so you don't have to hoof it downstairs and then wait an hour and a half for Cash and Carry. What secrets do you know?
--See above Additionally if you download the order form and have it all ready when you get there it goes much faster, otherwise they make you fill it out there, no matter how nice your list looks. They aren't very nice in kitchens and returns in Emeryville.

9. Always say hi to Lewis who will help you load your car, if he's around. Being nice to him has not only brightened my day several times he's also helped me behind the scenes when we realized, upon loading, that some of my boxes were opened (beat up product inside)... with his help I didn't have to stand back in returns, which is their policy. And Jon in returns is THE MOST efficient. If you have a tough return he's worth the wait, cause Mercedes and a lot of the ladies just don't care.

[Mykitchen]

1. Store name/location- IKEA Leslie Street Toronto

3. Best time/day to visit - also, times to avoid- Best any weekday morning before noon, worst weekends anytime!

4. Best parking place- use the new upper level of the two story parking- no one is up there and you can park right next to the elevator.

6. Shortcuts to Kitchens, etc.- Kitchens are right up front- these folks have their priorities in order- when you go in the main entrance, and up the stairs, and then again more kitchens when you follow straight ahead!

7. How to get to AS-IS- right before the checkouts on the left hand side...if you're just going in to check this out or to pick something out from the warehouse, then go in the Exit doors, backward through the cash, and you're there.

[woodswell]

To add to what jenplocher had about the Atlanta Ikea:


And what I had copied from Jennoconn's post about the store in another thread:

Parking: I always park in the lower level of the deck in either C or D aisles. This is close to the escalator/elevators and the moving ramp when you bring your stuff to your car. They do have family parking but I can never figure out how to get there.

First floor: When you come up the escalator or elevator you stop in the "greetor lobby" they used to always have someone standing there to help but I haven't seen anyone lately. There's a bathroom there and an ATM. To the right is the "ladybug playground" as my daughter calls it. To the left is the cinnamon roll eatery, the checkout lanes and past them the returns and pick-up.

Up the escalator: If you head to the right you'll get the usual path of display rooms --) sofa section --) futons & coffee tables --) chairs --) media & bookcases --) the kitchen displays start and dining tables & chairs --) Kitchens! --) bedrooms --) closet & dressers --) office --) bathrooms --) kids stuff --) then ends at the restaurant with the bathrooms down the hall and the stairs and elevator down to the Marketplace.

Of course I rarely go that way - I go backwards and through the shortcuts.

at the top of the escalator I turn left --) go into the kids area and the 1 st shortcut (between the toys and the kids tables and chairs) which takes you to media then you can follow the path to dining and kitchens. Kithens have been my main focus so usually I'm wiped out and head to the restaurant or down to the marketplace following the same shortcuts.

Downstairs: I don't know the Marketplace as well but I'll give it a try. Kitchen & dining --) rugs & office supplies --) window treatments & textiles --) bedding and bath textiles --) laundry & storage --) lighting & more lighting --) pictures and mirrors --) nick nacks and animal stuff --) baskets & vases --) outdoor & plants & bathrooms. From there you pick up a flatbed cart if you need to get anything in the warehouse. After going through the warehouse you find the seasonal stuff and the beloved As Is room. Check out is next and there are self-serve lanes as well as, standard.

So that's the store but I'd like to add info about the area.

Ikea is part of a new multi-use development called Atlantic Station and is off of the 75/85 connector at 17th street downtown. It has condo/loft/apartments buildings, a "strolling mall" with all the stores having sidewalk entrances. There's a Dillard's and all the standard Bath & Body Works etc. There's a multiplex movie theatre and a number of upscale/trendy restaurants and bars. see http://www.atlanticstation.com/ if you'd like more info.

Anne

[kmcg]

Stacy handled Seattle, but here's an addition:
phone: 425-656-2980
kitchens expeditor: select 5, then select number for those who have ordered a kitchen already, and you'll get voice mail for Cindy, an extremely helpful Ikean.
I also have ext. 1410 listed as one to reach the kitchen desk in the warehouse area

As mentioned by Stacy, you can bypass the store if you just want to pick up kitchen items (or Pax items) and you basically know what you're looking for. The desk there is staffed if you have questions. It is located straight up the main aisle if you walk in through the exit - and Pax aisles are on your right as you walk toward kitchens.

Kathy