This IKEA Store is so Popular It Has It’s Own Ferry to Transport Customers

Want to get a bunch of stuff from IKEA but don't have a truck to haul it home? Try taking a boat.

Brooklyn IKEA On The Water

IKEA can be an affordable option for purchasing home goods, but only if you are willing to put everything together at home.

The chain makes it fairly easy to load up your vehicle, thanks to their ability to pack items into fairly flat boxes (more on that in a minute). But getting all of your purchases home only works if you have a vehicle to take them to and from IKEA.

That's unless you are shopping at the IKEA located in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn. The store, which sits near the water along the Erie Basin, got so popular that it needed its own ferry service.

How To Take The IKEA Ferry

A free ferry makes several trips to the Brooklyn IKEA on most Saturdays and Sundays. According to the NY Waterway website, the ferry departs as many as five times a day from terminals at Piers 79 and 11 in Manhattan.

The service promotes the ferry as more than just a chance to pick up some affordable home goods.

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"Enjoy panoramic views of the city and pass the Statue of Liberty on your way to IKEA," NY Waterway says on its website. "Bring the whole family and enjoy the IKEA shopping experience and the 6.5-acre waterfront, Brooklyn Erie Basin Park."

IKEA ferry service from Midtown's Pier 79 begins at 10:30 a.m. Service from Pier 11 starts at 11 a.m.

What Are IKEA's Flat Boxes Called?

It's difficult to think of IKEA without picturing furniture neatly packed in flat boxes. But at one time, the store was less focused on the self-assembly aspect of its business.

According to information shared by IKEA, the brand was hampered by high shipping costs and damage rates when trying to transport its furniture via mail order.

That all changed in 1953 when IKEA adopted what it calls the "flatpack." While IKEA wasn't the first store to use flatpack shipping, it's certainly the most recognizable brand using the boxes.

IKEA says the flat boxes cut down on costly issues connected to shipping and product damage.