An ode to IKEA: We asked Cov students how they feel about IKEA closing

Oh IKEA, what are we gonna do without you? You've provided us with a place for annual shopping trips, fed on the cheap & even a great spot for first dates. The never ending routes are a thing of dreams, and quite frankly we're not at all happy about seeing it go.

IKEA was there when we forgot pretty much all the kitchen essentials we need to survive (anyone ever tried to open a can without a can opener?). It's been there for us to buy silly amount of plants after Pinterest confirms our ideas that we need about a hundred different succulents in order for our rooms to look nice. And then for us to go back to buy a load of fake plants because we're not capable of looking after real plants.

We asked Coventry students if they felt as devastated as us. We got a ton of responses, mainly people gutted about the whole sitch.

pls cry with me

Maddy Mussen, Economics Graduate:

'RIP the best part of Coventry. If this happened while I was still at uni I'd have dropped out'. Same tbh.

Caitlin Leach, Third Year, Disaster Management:

'I remember when IKEA first opened and honestly I'm so gutted it's going, it's gonna be so difficult to do the annual IKEA haul in September and RIP Swedish Meatballs'.

Tala, Design Management, Masters Student:

'They will probably use it for another student accommodation, looks like that's the City Council's master plan for everything… It's sad how they can't make a solid plan to improve this city, hoping for 2021'.

Olivia Cookson and Courtney Baker, Third Years, Theatre:

'As theatre students we love IKEA almost as much as Kanye loves Kanye. We constantly need it especially for quick trips to get last minute bits of set for our shows'.

'We were able to create real looking scene on stage because we could afford it. It was so beneficial for a course like ours to have cheap furniture that is so local- we can just walk huge bits of furniture through town straight into ET! The best place to find cheap set on a budget- I'm sure the art students are on the same page as us'.

Aidan Kingman, Third Year, Automotive and Transport Design:

'Seems a bit ridiculous to me. Surely they get enough custom. Moving into a new, under-furnished house means IKEA is a lifesaver: bins, shelves, a desk, chairs, anything! Definitely saved a lot of people since its walking distance for a lot of students'.

My one and only xx

Rowena, Third Year, Fine Art and Illustration:

'The first time I went to IKEA was in Cov! Literally love being able to wander into town and be able to spontaneously go to IKEA, have a big fat pile of meatballs and gravy, with a slice of their banging apple pie, it makes my brain so much clearer! And of course havin' a lil gander round and coming out with some lil skubb box to organise ya wardrobe is the best thing ever. Cov won't be the same again! Like what will even fit in that massive big building?? Converting IKEA into uni halls??'

We think that great big lift would actually be great for fitting all those uni students that are all off to a 9am at the same time. But we get you.

Former IKEA employee, Second Year:

'It's genuinely the best placed I've ever worked. They hired partially based on personality so everyone just gels really well. Also provided decent wages and work and progression for people who really needed a job like that- e.g I know quite a few single mum's/dad's who are now gonna be jobless but don't have any other qualifications. It even provided free healthy meals so us students could eat even when we were broke. It just all seems like a huge shame- work has really been my rock for the last year'.

WE MISS IT ALREADY

WHERE AM I MEANT TO GET CUTE BED SHEETS NOW?!

So go and stock up on bits of home ware you definitely do not need and eat your body weight in Swedish Meatballs while you can. After that I guess we'll have to make do with good ol' Wilko and the stressful home section/crime scene in Primark and get our meatballs in the form of a Subway sandwich. I think it's safe to say Coventry Uni won't quite be the same.