We hopped by the new Ikea Tampines mega store this morning. Arrived slightly after 10am and there was already a sizeable crowd, which continued to increase in the three hours we were there.
The new place is of course bigger than their Alexandra outlet. A bigger children’s playroom, a bigger restaurant, a bigger car park and a bigger checkout area with more counters. While their furnitures are similar to those offered at Alexandra, the new store appears to carry more selections of items at their marketplace. For example, we were just at the Alexandra outlet last week but didn’t spot quite a number of the interesting lightings we saw at Tampines today.
All in all, we actually walked round the place twice. First, rushing through the sections with Gavin because the boy was only interested to spend time at the children’s and plants’. Then, a second time, after we left the boy at Smaland, the kiddies’ playroom, and managed to spend more time browsing through the various areas carefully.
I would rate the visit worthwhile if not for some irrational behaviour my son exhibited while he was there. It has got nothing to do with Ikea or their staff. In fact, the place is fine, and the staff are nice. So we’ll probably be back again soon.
The boy really freaked the hell out of both of us, as well as one of the staff and another little boy. He was at his worst and most monstrous. Something both of us have never seen before and something I will write about it in the next entry.
We’re scheduled to get an IKEA here next spring. I can’t wait. It looks like a cool place.
ally: Oh yes, Ikea is cool. Great place to spend some fun time!
Comment by ally bean — Sat, 2 Dec 2006 @ 11:24 pm
We were passing by SLE this morning and saw the long car queue…..was it crowded at the car park?
Hee…hee…. me waiting till the holiday is over and going on a Monday morning so I can have the entire Ikea to myself ;-)And yes…. eat my chicken wings at Ikano cafe.
SSF: We went early so it wasn’t that bad and there were plenty of parking spaces. But the restaurant was crowded! So Monday is probably a better time for those lovely chicken wings!
Comment by sunshinensunflower — Sun, 3 Dec 2006 @ 5:44 pm
Ikea is one of my fav place, love to just look at all the nice furnitures but Tampines abit far for me lor.
Ashes: Tampines is near for me on the other hand.
Comment by Ashes — Sun, 3 Dec 2006 @ 9:55 pm
I think I’ll pass on this til the hooha has died down. It can be frustrating to cope with crowds, that I learned from Vivocity experience.
DR: By the time you come back, probably lesser crowd. But it isn’t as bad as Vivocity. No, not at all. Especially in the morning.
Comment by domestic rat — Sun, 3 Dec 2006 @ 9:57 pm
You mean you have 2 Ikeas now in Singapore? Or the Alexandra Road one is closed now?
Ikea is so so crowded here as well, during this festive season.
ZM: No, the one at Alexandra is still opened, not close.
Comment by zara's mama — Mon, 4 Dec 2006 @ 2:58 pm
You are so brave….even though it is said to be much much bigger….I think most of singapore population would have flocked there….any more weight on that side of the island, am pretty sure, it would sink liao lor….tampines side would dipped into the water cos over crowded…. kekekeke…so I decided to stay clear of IKEA tampines until when the craze has blown over, perhaps then I would have the courage to visit IKEA tampines…kekekeke
Jan: Hiyah, not so bad lah. Go in the morning and you won’t feel like you’re like packed sardines.
Comment by Jan (My lovely Rays) — Tue, 5 Dec 2006 @ 12:44 pm
[...] We were back at Ikea Tampines this morning again. I know. We really should find more places to hangout since we were just there last weekend. But the only reason we were back again so soon was because my FIL wanted to check out the mega store. [...]
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