The genius of the IKEA superstore.

Why IKEA?

I was talking to two friends of mine about a month ago, prior to a planned get-together and the subject of IKEA came up. They were both surprised that I had never been, and were super insistent that I joined them on their next visit. Never before have I seen people more excited about going to a shop, and the more people I spoke to, the more I realized they weren't the only ones who loved the Swedish store.

I was super curious to see what the place was like, so agreed to the trip, only really knowing odds and ends about the place (like insanely cheap ice-cream!). To give a quick overview of what the place markets itself as (and this is about what I knew going into it), it's an all in one furniture, furnishings, decor and utilities store for the home and small businesses. They also sell some smaller knick-knacks throughout, such as children's toys and candles. Literally everything for the home. They've even recently started development on a range of smart-home devices that are starting to roll out in specific regions.

Overall the trip was really fascinating and has had me thinking about the smart business practices they employ, so I decided (upon suggestion of the original friend who took me) that I wanted to write about what I observed while there. So, let's get into what makes an IKEA store, and why I think they're so successful.

Scale.

The main thing that really struck me on the approach was the sheer size of the superstore. It really did fill me with a sense of awe when I saw it for the first time. A big blue box, situated just on the outskirts of our city, with enormous "IKEA" letters on the side. It's built in such a way that you could literally spend the best part of a day just shopping in the one store, and this is very deliberate.

You see, rather than be free to roam an open plan space, as with most shops, you have to follow one huge predetermined path through the warehouse. This forces you past every-single one of their products, so even if you're only after one thing, chances are you'll see a multitude of intriguing items along the way, and maybe even buy them. This tactic is similar to that of supermarkets putting important items at the rear of shops to force shoppers through each of the isles, scattering impulse purchases throughout.

Layout.

Despite it's size, not once did I actually feel daunted or annoyed by how far we would have to walk, and that was surprising in hindsight as we were in there for about 3 hours (I was exhausted at the end of the day). Instead of put off I was intrigued to see what was in every section, and this is due to a few clever tricks they pull with the layout of the store. The store is laid out in a slalom that keeps you from seeing everything at once, keeping me from getting overwhelmed, and carefully drip-feeding me products throughout.

Presentation.

The showrooms along this slalom were what really sold me on the place though. They, in a sense, pitch each and every product to you by carefully placing them within rooms with specific themes. I didn't know IKEA had so much involvement with things like kitchen products for example. I became lost in each unique space, which were carefully hand-crafted to show items at their best. As someone interested in interior design, I caught myself on several occasions thinking about each living space as a place I could see myself living. With that came some real attachment and drive to pick up products as if they were going in my future ideal home.

Repetition.

One thing I picked up on when looking at the various things on sale was that things were presented subtly numerous times. While the showrooms were varied and vastly different in some cases, they really showed you how certain products would work in different spaces, and this actually wore my purchasing restraint down overtime. The first time I saw something I liked I didn't think much of it other than that I thought it looked nice. The second time later on I started to imagine myself using the particular product, as it had been shown in a room that matched my design preferences. The third time, I looked at it and decided that I'd pick it up on a whim because I'd almost grown attached.

Note that the first two times I saw it, I had no intention of making a purchase, but somehow it came home with me anyway. And besides, nearly all of IKEA products are made to be cheap, so you don't feel bad grabbing things here and there. It's crazy to me how they really sell you on things without a shred of packaging or branding. The store IS the pitch.

Food.

I'm not going to lie, one of the things that really drew me into wanting to go in the first place was the mention of a nice cafe and insanely affordable food. Everyone who I know that has been raves about it, with things such as the famous meatballs, or their cheap hot-dogs. I'm fairly certain they don't make a profit on these items, which might seem confusing at first, but this is actually really clever on their part. Chances are, after having been having around the gargantuan store, you'll have bought something, especially with the tactics they employ to get you to buy, so they are hardly losing money. The food is actually just something extra to draw you in and make purchases in the first place.

I also found where the food places are located to be subtly smart as well. Initially there was a nice cafe on the way in. The kind of place you could go for a cheap lunch, allowing you to ready yourself for the massive journey you're about to take in the store. Usually you might bring a lunch, or go elsewhere, but it's so cheap, so why not? The food is designed to keep you going for a few hours, and they even provide free stimulant drinks to registered members such as coffee, almost as if to keep you alert on your trip around (and to incentivise membership signups).

Lastly, once you're tired and worn down from walking so far and carrying your shopping there is a little food stand where you can buy some of the famed cheap snacks. This is just what I needed after my long journey, and I was starving so it didn't really bother me that the substance quality was poor. The store is literally built to keep you focused on one thing and one thing only. The things they sell. This food does it's job by taking care of any concerns you might have about taking the trip in the first place, and thus supports the overall business model of IKEA.

Summary.

With all of the clever tricks they pull involving small product sections and food in all the right places, you don't really process it as a big undertaking to go to IKEA, despite the obvious time and money commitment. You can literally go there on a whim and spend hours shopping, buying all kinds of things you never pictured buying before going. In fact, I would say I had loads of fun at every stage of my experience there, and that's almost unheard of for me. I hate shops! I also never buy furniture or decorations, so they must have really been doing something right to get me of all people to spend so much relative to my budget.

With all this said, I came away amazed with how savvy the business of IKEA is as a whole, and I have to say, I will definitely be going back. I've never wanted to immediately plan another trip to a store so close to leaving, so this too was new to me. Moving forward with our own business I will definitely be conscious of the impact the place has had on me and what they do to work with, not against, your psychology. It's part of what makes the business model so successful, and I honestly think the general concept is slowly becoming the future of commerce. As always, I hope you've enjoyed this look into one of my random topics, and I hope you have a great week.