Ikea Closing First Big UK Store since Arriving in Britain in 1987
In the News
Ikea has announced plans to shut its Coventry store, the first time the Swedish retail chain has closed one of its large UK sites since arriving in Britain 33 years ago.
Ikea said on Tuesday it would shut the loss making West Midlands store this summer due to high operating costs and changing shopping habits. About 350 jobs are at risk.
https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/ikea-coventry-closing-jobs-115633368.html
https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/breaking-ikea-close-major-uk-21426354
My husband doesn't like shopping at IKEA unless he has too. He says he feels like he is being robbed by Sweden! Although he does like their meatballs. We have a giant one near us, you could spend all day in there, mainly trying to get out.
When you say you have a giant one near you I take it you didn't mean the meatball! 
There isn't one within 50 miles of me! 
tumblespots haha no I didn't mean the meatball! Although that would be good! Ours is about 15 minutes away from us.
It looks good, but it's built like once and that's it. Try to take it apart to transport it to a new home and it becomes wood to burn.
The only ones I feel bad for are the employees.
I've never had anything from there as the nearest to me is 50 miles away. As you say I just feel for the employees.
I suppose it depends on the quality, but I've never been a fan of Ikea products. tumblespots
Rockman That's probably why we haven't made the effort to drive to it, we prefer solid furniture
The price doesn't seem to have much effect, guess it's bad luck or something. But I prefer other brands than Ikea. tumblespots
I think it's really sad, especially as they have been so successful. Location has meant that there wasn't one nearby but I've always had a list ready for anyone going there - love their household items but never bought furniture. I think there will be a bit more 'shedding' from brands before the situation gets better.
I think I've only been in two ikeas, the one at Southampton whose carpark has a great view of the ships etc on the top floor and the one at Bristol. The only thing I can remember buying there was a few packs of their batteries, they used to do a 10 pack of alkaline batteries for a Β£1. Their furniture wasn't to my tastes and the quality looked poor and looked expensive for what it was. I quite like the atmosphere in Ikea and the cafe.
I have only been to the Croydon branch and that was many years ago. It was quite a large shop but I couldn't find anything that I wanted to buy!
tumblespots I don't really get the hype for Ikea, maybe its the best of chipboard type furniture but I've been in homes with such furniture and looks rubbish after a year or so, a false economy. Many years ago I remember suggesting to someone who was going to throw out a chest of drawers that he had had for ages why not rub it down, put on new drawer handles and repaint it. It was a really nice solid wood chest of drawers. He did so and it looked absolutely brilliant, brand new in fact. He sprayed it rather than hand brushed it which I hadn't suggested he did himself. He'd filled in the little holes and pitts in the wood with a bit of filler. He did a better job than I would have done and he now had a chest of drawers that would have been a fortune new and the paint colour was bang up to date, at the time which was a sort of chocolate brown colour. The only negative you could say was the drawers didn't have runners so were always a bit stiff getting in and out but they were super strong, mainly the larger drawers.
BonzoBanana Great advice, I would have given the same myself. A bit of wax on the runners should out the stiffness?
I guess it wasnβt a great location for them. Theyβre popping up with smaller stores in London and seem to be doing well.
It amazing really that these chains expect their shops to do well wherever they put them but peoples tastes are different across the country.
I think they opened too many at once maybe,but thing is they are not in right places! Nearest to me(though its a city) is about 50 odd miles away!so ive not been to ikea for about ten years,id shop online but the delivery costs a blooming fortune,even though the products are quite cheap- It makes no sense!Yes the meatballs are deliscous though!
I'll bet this is just the first closure... I've only been to one store but never bought a thing!
Last summer we went to Legoland but with the satnav we ended up in an ikea carpark near birmingham! (My son,20,was driving) he ranted he'd have to pay to get out,but when i called out to carpark guy we were lost he said its fine it happens all the time
I thought it wasnt the best moment to tell my son id have liked to go have a look round...
Lol! I didn't dare,he's normally a nice good- natured lad,but if he gets lost driving he loses his cool.I don't drive so didn't want to be a 'side-seat driver'(what my daughter calls a 'back seat driver' whose in passenger seat) He can laugh about it now though...i think
It is much easier to laugh after the event - depending upon the event that may be years after!
Someone posted about the bodum mugs,that theyve got some in birmingham,i said were not going there again!
Caz2 I went to Cadburys myself once but don't know Birmingham well enough to suggest anywhere else.
I know....I was really shocked to see this but then again having a store in Coventry is saying something for the Midlands
I have visited the Coventry IKEA several times, I went through a stage of parking in their car park to go to town as it was free
I also have the Wednesbury one close to me so if I do need to go to one there will still be one within 30 mins drive!
I have never really purchased much from there, only candles and utensils!
I don't think I have ever been to Coventry let alone their Ikea. Having another branch within 30 mins it good though, my nearest is well over an hour away.
there isn't an ikea by me but I have been driven out to the closest one a few time. I think their products are bland, tasteless and lacking in style. To me their products are the equivalent of a luke warm cup of tea. I wouldn't be bothered if all the stores in england closed; I would feel sorry for the staff, but not the brand.
The bubble had to burst sometime, and most showroom retailers are struggling, especially if you are situated in the middle of nowhere (high street stores are struggling, so imagine being in a retail park where people have to drive to get to you)
I really like IKEA, My dressing table is from there. I like there storage solutions mostly. My nearest one is Gateshead & it's always very busy especially on a Saturday. OH reluctantly takes me every other month, he just goes for the meatballs!
I think there should be a separate meatball thread as they have been mentioned quite a lot on here! Glad you like the items you have bought there. 
I quite like Ikea. Their storage cubes are great although i have had stuff that really poor quality.
It's not the sort of place I go to but then it's over an hours drive away anyway so I'm not that bothered.
Oh my goodness, for Ikea to shut things are going very badly for them. WAsn't this their flagship store for a long time? Certainly one of the earlier ones. That will be dveistating to the area.
The job losses are the worst of all of this sorry business and the closure is probably the thin end of the wedge!
I think ikea can be expensive but also does have some pretty good items however I donβt actually shop at IKEA myself so for me it isnβt much of a loss. Itβs a shame for people who will lose jobs.
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