Posted on 05/25/2013 1:29:59 AM PDT by Olog-hai
IKEA presents itself as the champion of affordable home furnishings. But it appears that the store’s definition of affordable varies dramatically according to the country it is operating in.
British families are being charged about 70 percent more for some items of furniture compared with their counterparts on the Continent. …
For example, IKEA’s popular Friheten corner sofa bed costs £525 ($796) if bought in its British stores—some 71 percent more than the £307 ($461) charged in Poland, and also considerably more than the £344 ($522) in Spain and Germany. The sofa is also cheaper in IKEA’s home country of Sweden—renowned for its relatively high cost of living—where it comes in at £400 ($607).
A similar pattern is seen on items including the Äpplaro gazebo, which costs £250 ($379) in the UK, versus a cheapest figure of £158 ($240) in France. It is £205 ($311) in Poland and £215 ($326) in Spain and Germany. …
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Consumer goods are never affordable in any socialist paradise, including modern UK. Don’t blame IKEA, blame socialists leeching businesses with taxes and tariffs.
VAT and other taxes are higher in Britain, perhaps?
VAT is not significantly higher or lower in Britain than in most EU member states, FWICS. I can’t tell what the article means by “surcharge”, though.
When I was living in Slovakia, which I do not call Socialist, I did a lot of my household shopping at IKEA.
I thought it was great, and much of what I bought I shipped to the Philippines, where I now live.
My computer desk and chair, along with other book cases, and household goods were easily shipped in two large boxes.
Everything could be broken down into small parts for easy packing.
Much of my kitchen goods, lamps, and other household items are from that same Ikea.
I have no complaints.
About half of my furniture are from IKEA as well.
Nobody's "making" anyone pay. Don't like the prices? Vote with your wallet.
I never shop there. The furniture looks like the stuff you buy for your kids college dorm or apartment.
The EU is first and foremost....a Free Trade organization. They pretty much have eliminated tariffs between members.....which is their real problem to begin with
UK should not be paying higher for IKEA products than the Continent.
UK tends to be cheaper for things compared to the Continent...at least what I have discovered in my travels. Groceries especially cheaper in UK than Euro. IKEA should not cost more in UK
Checking IKEA's website - that same corner sofa bed costs $699 USD at IKEA stores in the US.
Silly Brits were stupid enough to disarm themselves, so IKEA decided to see if they were stupid enough to pay extra. And they were!
Good for IKEA.
Stupidity should hurt.
“Low price is the cornerstone of the Ikea vision”
That’s odd. I could have sworn that low quality and poor value were the cornerstones of the Ikea vision.
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