Mauri and Sherry

Posted by Sherry on November 11, 2007

I finally got IKEA out of my system today. Ever since a store opened in Portland (by the airport) last summer I’ve wanted to find an opening in my days to drive out and look around, get acquainted with its floor plan, pick up a few things. I flew in early from Wichita this morning and thought this would be the perfect opportunity. At 11 a.m. premium parking was limited to no options, so I parked way out on the edges. No problem. It’s a beautiful fall day and I’d been sitting in meetings and on planes way too much all weekend. The walk to the entrance felt great. I was pumped! I walked in and looked for a cart. The only carts in view were strollers. Okay, I could handle not having a baby to push around so I took one and headed for…what? Where is the store? All I could see from there was an escalator and the check-out lines. Was I supposed to take my stroller up the escalator? Way over in the corner was a tiny sign on a door that instructed “shortcut to marketplace” so I sheepishly opened the door for a peek and found people shopping! That’s more like it. On the other side of the door waited rows and rows of carts, so I looked left, then right, to make sure no one detected my confusion, and swapped out my stroller for a grownup cart. Feeling a little more confident, I headed for more familiar territory. After all, I’m a seasoned IKEA shopper, having memorized the Seattle store from previous sprees. I breezed through the departments, looking for small, lightweight stocking stuffer possibilities and other IKEA trademarks. Before I knew it, I had walked my way to the check-outs. But how had I missed the children’s area? That must be upstairs. How do I get upstairs from the check-outs? Walk all the way back through the maze of departments to the escalator? Do I leave my cart behind? By that point I didn’t care how much I liked those cool ball-bearing-wheeled carts that go sideways as easily as forward and backward—I wanted out! I asked the cashier to clear up my muddlement, and she advised me to start with the showroom, which is upstairs and cartless. Okay, if there is a next time, I’ll try that. And I’ll take enough nickels to buy bags I’ll need to carry my purchases out of the store.

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