My visit to IKEA

A new IKEA store opened in Portland, OR this week so I decided to check it out, along with half of the population of northern OR and southern WA. I figured, oh cool, imported stuff from Sweden. WRONG!! I'm not the only person who noticed that most of the merchandise in the new Swedish IKEA store was imported from The Peoples Republic of Communist China. http://www.geofffox.com/MT/archives/2004/08/02/ikea.php

I found one I item I couldn't live without (a lap desk) imported from Poland. I don't think I've ever purchased anything from Poland before. While paying for my item I mentioned to the cashier how disappointed I was to find that most of their items are imported from Communist China. For a second I thought she was going to spit on me, but instead she went on to enlighten me about all the good IKEA does for UNICEF. http://www.unicef.org/corporate_partners/index_25092.html

I did find two items made in the USA - a mattress that said USA on it, but I'm not sure if it was made in the USA or maybe it was saying "Import to the USA." But the bag of frozen Swedish meatballs definitely said "Made in the USA!!" I found several items "Made in Mexico," as well as many other 3rd world countries.