an excerpt from Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture by Ellen Ruppel Shell
Few IKEA outlets in the US are accessible by public transportation
and since the company does not support a home delivery service,
customers willing and able to take public transport rarely do so. As a
result, the traffic jams surrounding IKEA stores are so gnarly that
customers are discouraged from shopping on weekends when lines of idling
cars can back up for miles. IKEA touts its 'green side' by lighting its
stores with low-wattage bulbs and charging extra for plastic bags while
its clientele burns through gallon after gallon of fuel to buy
disposable tables and lamps. Asked his assessment of company practices,
MIT-trained urban development expert Wig Zamore said: "IKEA is the least
sustainable retailer on the planet."
Bummer
