Stockholm Syndrome: The Shopping Edition

Stockholm Syndrome: The Shopping Edition

Sweden's answer to Walmart comes in a big blue and yellow box. Ikea is finally in Tampa and despite the recession the furniture giant is opening its doors and ready to compete for any spare cash bargain hunters, hip urbanites and build-it-yourselfers might have.

If you go, make  sure you wear comfortable shoes. The place is gianormous with 353,000 square feet of space to explore. It could take all day to walk through the maze that is the IKEA experience. To get started, you might want to plan out your adventure by picking up a store map, pencil and measuring tape near the door.

And if you're worried about getting hunger pains halfway through your shopping spree, the restaurant located upstairs serves up reasonably priced items. Some of their biggest sellers are the Swedish meatballs and the 99 cent breakfast with bacon, eggs, and potatoes. Another highlight includes the Swedish Foodmarket where you can buy some of the items served at the restaurants along with other Scandinavian treats and delicacies.

If you plan on bringing the kids, you can drop them off at the child care center located near the exit. However, there are height and time restrictions. (Kids must be between 37"-54" tall.)

Bargain hunters also won't want to leave without seeing what's available in the "As-Is" clearance section. It located just before the cash registers after the warehouse area. If you're worried about getting your stuff back to your place and put together correctly, Ikea also offers delivery,  assembly, kitchen installation and a rent-a-van.

Metromix got a sneak peek inside. Check out the pics and read the blog from 10connects' Kathryn Bursch here.