What is there to say about IKEA - if you haven't heard about it, I'd be quite surprised. Even US…read morepeople like Jonathan Coulton know about it. If you're unexpectedly unknowledgable, however, let me recap: it's one of the biggest furniture retailers in Europe, if not the whole world. And, in comparision, the prices are dirt-cheap, because IKEA uses little tricks to push the price down, like using chipboard instead of massive wood elements. And, of course, the dreaded assembly of IKEA products - at least if you're not really a talent when it comes to handicraft.
It's almost a favourite spot of mine, Cologne's IKEA. In regular intervals, I do the pimp my furniture thing and roam their halls in search of something that makes home a bit nicer. And I have yet to leave the shop because I haven't found things; only my bank account has stopped me from some shopping frenzies.
The store itself is well thought through: there are guideposts in all important spaces or when you might start getting lost, they offer bags for carrying unwieldy things you find in the exposition area, and writing utensils along with a paper tape measure can also be picked up free of charge.
IKEA will also take up your order to deliver your stuff home to you, if your car's too small or you're dependent on public transport (there's a bus stop right in front of it, by the way). Regarding all these handy features, the only thing to stop you from going there naked is that you need a place to put your money (or your EC card).
The setup also encompasses the need of regular customers, or people in a hurry - you have to pass through the exposition, but there's shortcuts everywhere, so that you can just cut straight through to the goods you seek.
Godorf's IKEA doesn't only offer furniture (and plants, and people, and elks), though, but also gives you plenty of opportunity to fill your stomach; and, if you've got the family with you, you can just dump the kids at the entrance, and professional caretakers will allow you to roam free, without being poked in the ribs everytime you try to test a bed.
The food is a real bargain: there's some kind of restaurant with a couple of meals at the end of the expo area, and near the exit, there's a fast food store (with hot dogs, and donuts (very recommend, 12 for 5EUR)) and a café; and in front of the store itself, there's a chippie - which coincidentally had taken to getting a bit too hot, resulting in many men in fire-retardant clothing wanting a snack. If you ever wonder what a Code 1000 bei der Frittenbude is: it's burning.
Only one thing recently was more annoying than a fly in my soup: supply problem. For about half a year(!), there was virtually no chance of getting parts for the Bestå series of shelves. Most annoying.
