Many shoppers are bracing themselves for chaos as IKEA prepares to open the doors of its Auckland store, the first in the country.
Up to 20,000 shoppers are predicted to visit on the first day, and traffic management are warning of 40 minute queues just to get off the motorway, and up to another hour to find a parking space.
AUT macromarketing professor Ben Wooliscroft told RNZ the opening was an exciting phenomena for Kiwis.
However, with heavy delays and high foot traffic expected, he said there are a few key ways that shoppers can make their experience as enjoyable as possible.
Take public transport
"Take public transport, that's the way to get to IKEA. You don't have to carry it away with you when you leave, you can get it picked up from when the depots around New Zealand, they've got 30 different ones."
With 19 collection points in the North Island, and 11 in the South, people will be able to pick up their new furniture all the way from Kaitaia, down to Invercargill.
"I'm really excited that they're bringing that modern take of retail to New Zealand, that we don't have to drive there."
Don't rush it
Wooliscroft said it was important for shoppers to be ready to take their time in the superstore.
IKEA's iconic layout is split into two main areas, the showroom and the markethall.
In the showroom, furniture is laid out in multiple room set ups, including lounges, kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms and even a patio.
Wooliscroft said IKEA is traditionally set up in a European way, showcasing rooms based on size, so customers can figure out how best to utilise the space of their own homes.
"That's for apartment living, particularly in Europe. So, they'll have a 20 metre kitchen, or a 23 metre bedroom and you can see how that room might be optimised. It's not compulsory to buy the whole set, but it gives you great ideas about how you can efficiently use room.
"So, being ready to walk through the different rooms to appreciate these part of a way of looking at how we can use our space differently, it's going to take a while to get through there. Don't expect to go in and go out."
He said it was easy to get sucked into buying but that didn't necessarily need to be part of the experience.
"Don't necessarily go and buy anything, just have a an experience in retail."
Avoid jumping on the bandwagon
While the IKEA hype has been going strong across the country, Wooliscroft said it was important to consider whether IKEA was actually a place you want to shop at.
"If you're going in there with the New Zealand drop into the furniture shop, have a look at the sofa, get out, IKEA is probably not the best place for you," Wooliscroft said.
"If you're not feeling calm, don't go in. It's not the right place for you to be today. This is somewhere you should set aside. At least a couple of hours, probably half a day, plan to have a break, have a bit of food. Just take your time and enjoy the experience."
Wooliscroft said while IKEA is on the better end when it comes to sustainability, if you are seeking a truly sustainable product there was also the option to stick to local.
"If you really wanna go sustainable, go and find a local furniture maker who's using local fallen timber to build their wooden items and making things locally but that's a different price category in terms of sustainable."
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