Turns Out That It’s Not That Worthwhile for S’poreans to Visit JB IKEA After All

Less than a week ago, the IKEA in Johor Bahru opened its doors and we talked about the opening hours and free shuttle services here.

A big thank you to all of you who had gotten back to us with more info and your personal experiences!

So as it turns out, shopping at IKEA Tebrau might not be that worth it after all!

First things first, the prices of IKEA goods are still cheaper in Malaysia if we were to compare them side by side.

For example, according to Channel NewAsia, this Malm bed costs S$549 at the Singapore outlets.

When compared, the same bed costs only RM969, which equates to S$317. Wow, that’s around S$200 difference in price!

That aside, the food at IKEA Tebrau is also cheaper than that Singapore’s (Meatballs lovers, unite!).

Whoa, relax, would ya? Remember the title of this article?

Allow me to explain. According to an IKEA spokesperson, cross-border delivery is not available at the moment. Which means, unless you own a lorry or a van, chances are you won’t be able to carry bulky items(like the bed above) back to Singapore.

Even if you’re able to carry the items to the customs, you might still have to deal with taxes.

Now that you’ve calmed down, there’s more!

Let’s not forget the time needed for us to clear the customs. On a typical weekend (Well, if you visit IKEA for furniture, chances are you’re a working adult), it could take around 2 hours just to cross the causeway. Do you really want to take another 2 hours just to go back to Singapore after shopping at IKEA Tebrau for the whole day?

No matter if you’re driving or taking public transport, the crowd would probably still be pretty bad. For those of you who are driving, there’s still a few more factors to consider.

Petrol costs and parking woes. If you were one of those people who braved the crowd last Sunday, this might be a scene you’re all too familiar with.

Due to a lack of parking lots (IKEA Tebrau has 1,771 parking lots, mind you), many drivers had to park illegally at the side of the road. Not a pleasant feeling knowing that your car might get clamped while you’re shopping, huh?

After considering the opportunity costs, perhaps it’ll still be better to shop at the Alexandra or Tampines outlet? After all, it’s always a breeze finding a lot in the Singapore outlets. To add icing to the furniture, it’s free parking at the Tampines outlet.

Sheltered somemore.

Since I go to IKEA mainly for the food anyway, it doesn’t make sense for me to brave the crowd.

A round of applause for you brave warriors out there.

(And please lah, the food crowd at Singapore IKEA is already bad enough)

Since you’re here, why not watch a video about an NTU student who went all out to impress his crush, only to end up in…tragedy? Here, watch it and do remember to share it (and also subscribe to Goody Feed YouTube channel)!

This article was first published on goodyfeed.com

Read Also

• There’s Now an IKEA in JB…& It’s Bigger & Cheaper (Of Course)
• Free $500 IKEA Vouchers? It’s a Scam, Says IKEA
• There’s Now a Tinder for Food. Here’re the Deets

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Image: channelnewsasia.com