What COULD Have Been a Great Shopping Experience in IKEA ..BUTTT....

I had a wonderful lunch with my mom and my family on Sunday. We decided to pick up Ryan's birthday present from Toy"R"Us at 1 Utama and then adjourned to IKEA. I wanted to get those nice plastic containers with lids, 3 big ones and a couple of the smaller ones, to organize my junks at home. I got them last time and found that they are pretty useful and neat though a bit pricey. At the same time, I'd like to take my mom and my kiddos for a good walk after lunch.

So what could have been a great leisurely and shopping experience was shattered at the paying counter. The cashier asked me if I wanted a plastic bag for my purchase and I said of course - how else can I carry my stuff? He asked again and this time told me that I have to PAY for my plastic bag else I'd just have to carry those items to the car park. The alternative is to buy their IKEA blue plastic bag @ RM1.90! I bought 3 big containers, 2 packs of those 4-in-1 smaller containers, a twin pack chopping boards and some towels ... all stacked up about 2 feet high and they expect me to 'balance and carry' them to the car park if I don't buy the plastic bags from them. And my car was at The Curve because there was INSUFFICIENT PARKING SPACE in IKEA!!! This is ridiculous!! I never paid for plastic bags and it is really NOT about the 20-30 cents that I have to pay. It is really about the principal around it.

1. IKEA is selling big items which need big bags to carry.
   
   
2. They don't have sufficient parking space on weekends - so we have to park further. I can't get trolleys to the Curve etc. Does this mean we have to spend a lot more on plastic bags to carry my purchases?
   
   
3. This is a recycle drive. Is selling plastic bags (be it the the 20-30 cents ones or the nice looking plastic IKEA blue bags for RM1.90) a solution to recycle or another way to make money? I still saw customers paying for plastic bags to carry their purchases.
   
   
4. When I was abroad, retailers campaigning on recycling provide ALTERNATIVES to assist customers with their purchase... like brown bags and so forth. The alternative here is a PLASTIC IKEA bag which is yet another purchase with IKEA
   
   
5. If plastics is important in this recycling business, why are the products pre-wrapped in plastics still?
   
   
6. I guess the awareness was low or I'm just simply blind. I didn't see any prominent signs that said we have to pay for plastic bags at the entrance of IKEA showroom until I reached the paying counter. Else I would have made an informed purchase decision.
   
   
7. We bought 2 dozens of curry puffs but were given 4 small paper bags plus a coffee cup. Why not provide a bigger paper bag instead for customers' convenience. How do they think we can carry our bag, our purchases, 4 paper bags with no handles, coffee cup and at the same time care for our kids and older folks??

As I said.. this is about my principal as a customer and I'm not convinced about the approach in supporting the campaign. I was really irritated at the inconvenience. And I heard other customers complaining as well. Sigh! Venting out in my blog now...