How IKEA tricks you into buying more stuff(thehustle.co)
thehustle.co
How IKEA tricks you into buying more stuff
https://thehustle.co/how-ikea-tricks-you-into-buying-more-stuff/
206 comments
It’s funny, because their layout makes me spend less. Not because it doesn’t work, but because it makes me absolutely dread going there. There’s no other store I hate going to as much as Ikea because of the pure annoyance of their layout. So I usually don’t.
I guess I'm here to shill for Ikea. I enjoy wandering around the labyrinthian layout (though it was always clear to me this was intentional to make you spend more time in store), and the level of detail is impressive - open a drawer in the showroom and you can buy the organizer and all the utensils within. As I've aged a bit, the spare, modern nordic design of everything isn't quite as appealing as it was to my younger self, but I still like it. I suppose it's the unified design of the entire store experience that works for me. I even enjoy putting the furniture together with their wordless instructions, though I'm told many people find it frustrating. Also, the furniture is cheap to the point of disposability which I consider a double-edged sword. You certainly wont be passing on heirloom Ikea furniture to grandchildren, but it does the job for a bit and you can move on from it without much worry if you need to get rid of it quickly.
Exactly this, if I want a single item I want to go and buy it and walk out of the store with the least friction possible. One coud argue that this is the reason why Ikea are not nearly as succesful as they could have been.
I should also mention their e-commerce business which is beyond terrible. Considering how many years they have had to get this right, this has to be their biggest failure by far.
I should also mention their e-commerce business which is beyond terrible. Considering how many years they have had to get this right, this has to be their biggest failure by far.
I'm with you.
We sometimes have no choice but to go to Ikea (in some furniture categories, in this country it's difficult-to-impossible to find options in between Ikea and excessively expensive) but we view it as a necessary evil, and always take the same approach: do a speed-run through the store (taking all shortcuts) until we hit the exact section we need. Sit, recline, feel, examine, decide... and then continue on the the next section.
The only area that sometimes defeats us is the kitchen-ware.
We sometimes have no choice but to go to Ikea (in some furniture categories, in this country it's difficult-to-impossible to find options in between Ikea and excessively expensive) but we view it as a necessary evil, and always take the same approach: do a speed-run through the store (taking all shortcuts) until we hit the exact section we need. Sit, recline, feel, examine, decide... and then continue on the the next section.
The only area that sometimes defeats us is the kitchen-ware.
One great part about their layout, however, is the placement of their grocery section — you can bypass everything, zip over there, & get out of the store quite quickly. And the grocery section is really the best part of what they offer, at least in the US, where many flavors, and some items, are all but unavailable elsewhere.
I feel the same way. Its so awful to walk the long narrow paths, that are clogged with slow-walking smelly people. The store in my city is also overheated, so not only is it torturous to walk the store, its also hard to breathe and sweaty.
This was my feeling the one and only time I went into an IKEA. I actually had a panic attack halfway through because of the no way out, crowded, hot maze I had unexpectedly been thrust into. Not for me, for sure.
[deleted]
You don’t have to follow the entire designated route. I just look at the map and use the built-in short cuts. I go when it’s not busy. I get in and get out easily.
We really only go when we need something that Ikea specifically has a good product and price for. En route through the store we pick up any of the other basic or clever stuff that we need (I like their crockery and various kitchen utils), and end near the cash registers in the second-hand section to fill a bag with a selection of special screws, bolts, and those clever nuts they have for €2. For someone into woodworking those bins are a treasure chest.
And of course pick up some Swedish food in the little Ikea supermarket beyond the cash registers.
I've never understood how people get stuck following the designated route. Much faster to just take the shortcuts and stay of the (crowded) main path.
And of course pick up some Swedish food in the little Ikea supermarket beyond the cash registers.
I've never understood how people get stuck following the designated route. Much faster to just take the shortcuts and stay of the (crowded) main path.
Yeah, but that is stressful, stress that I avoid by going somewhere I don’t feel railroaded. Hell, I might even walk everywhere and look at everything to see what else I could need, but I won’t feel railroaded to do so.
I always thought it was fun finding the shortcuts.
As proud as HN commenters are of not falling prey to the tricks that work on normies, this shouldn’t surprise you. IKEA isn’t designing their store to extract maximum value from you.
As I mentioned, it is working on me just as well as on the next person. I’d love to claim differently, but for this, I can’t. It’s the side effect that destroys it.
> It’s funny, because their layout makes me spend less.
Literally what you said.
Literally what you said.
Yes, maybe you shouldn’t have stopped reading afterwards.
If you go to the store less because you hate the experience, it doesn’t work.
This is like saying, “The medicine works on me but I don’t like the flavor so I hardly ever take it.”
The medicine doesn’t work on you!
This is like saying, “The medicine works on me but I don’t like the flavor so I hardly ever take it.”
The medicine doesn’t work on you!
I generally like IKEA as a concept and furniture source, but am aware that big corporations use all sorts of tricks to get you to like them, use their stuff, not like or use competitors and so on.
But the IKEA hate seems mostly based on snobbery and/or brand awareness. Like those stories about random tech things that shoehorn Apple or Telsa into the title because it gets people to click. And people seem to hate other, poorer people wearing the same clothes as them, using the same chairs etc. It's weirdly self-defeating behaviour.
This article's most interesting bit is the part when they discuss IKEA's focus on low prices:
> The main ingredient of the company’s affordability is a technique called flat packing.
> The company reduces manufacturing, logistics, and fulfillment costs by disassembling items and fitting pieces together in a box as tightly as possible. “We hate air” is a common mantra at Ikea: Every pocket of space is accounted for and minimized.
> “Ikea designs products with manufacturing and transit in mind from the get-go,” said Katelan Cunningham, of the logistics software company Lumi. “They design for the realities of the supply chain, rather than having to make sacrifices for it.”
> Obsessive changes in packaging have saved Ikea millions of dollars:
> When Ikea transitioned its Ektorp sofa to be flat packed, it shrunk its packaging for that product by 50%, reduced its logistics by 7,477 truckloads, and led to a 14% price reduction for consumers. > Repackaging the Jules office chair by separating the base and the seat saved the company ~$1.4m per year.
But the IKEA hate seems mostly based on snobbery and/or brand awareness. Like those stories about random tech things that shoehorn Apple or Telsa into the title because it gets people to click. And people seem to hate other, poorer people wearing the same clothes as them, using the same chairs etc. It's weirdly self-defeating behaviour.
This article's most interesting bit is the part when they discuss IKEA's focus on low prices:
> The main ingredient of the company’s affordability is a technique called flat packing.
> The company reduces manufacturing, logistics, and fulfillment costs by disassembling items and fitting pieces together in a box as tightly as possible. “We hate air” is a common mantra at Ikea: Every pocket of space is accounted for and minimized.
> “Ikea designs products with manufacturing and transit in mind from the get-go,” said Katelan Cunningham, of the logistics software company Lumi. “They design for the realities of the supply chain, rather than having to make sacrifices for it.”
> Obsessive changes in packaging have saved Ikea millions of dollars:
> When Ikea transitioned its Ektorp sofa to be flat packed, it shrunk its packaging for that product by 50%, reduced its logistics by 7,477 truckloads, and led to a 14% price reduction for consumers. > Repackaging the Jules office chair by separating the base and the seat saved the company ~$1.4m per year.
I think the IKEA hate is amplified by the experience of being in their stores. I like IKEA products and do go and shop there, but I plan ahead to get in and out in less than half an hour, because after twenty minutes or so I start to get nauseous and feel like I'm having trouble breathing.
It's not because I have strong feelings about the products or the company, or just that I dislike shopping. There aren't any other stores that create the same reaction. Stores filled with products I hate, stores filled with products I love, stores filled with temptations, big stores, little stores, ugly stores, beautiful stores, malls, they're just places to shop, and while they might make me feel bored or irritated after a while, I don't get nauseous. They don't fill me with dread.
I honestly don't know why IKEA stores affect me like that. At first I thought it was anxiety about being disoriented, but it happens to me even in the local store where I know the layout. I have a lot of faith in habituation, mindfulness, and thinking things through as ways of mitigating anxiety, but they haven't helped. The only thing that affects me as viscerally and predictably is my fear of heights, so whatever it is, it feels primal.
It's not because I have strong feelings about the products or the company, or just that I dislike shopping. There aren't any other stores that create the same reaction. Stores filled with products I hate, stores filled with products I love, stores filled with temptations, big stores, little stores, ugly stores, beautiful stores, malls, they're just places to shop, and while they might make me feel bored or irritated after a while, I don't get nauseous. They don't fill me with dread.
I honestly don't know why IKEA stores affect me like that. At first I thought it was anxiety about being disoriented, but it happens to me even in the local store where I know the layout. I have a lot of faith in habituation, mindfulness, and thinking things through as ways of mitigating anxiety, but they haven't helped. The only thing that affects me as viscerally and predictably is my fear of heights, so whatever it is, it feels primal.
I feel the same, one trick I use is to park close to the checkout doors, walk in through the exit and go immediately to the kiosk to find the location of the item I want.
I've purchased $100's worth of item in less than 20 minutes.
I've purchased $100's worth of item in less than 20 minutes.
I usually end up giving up trying to buy anything after 20 minutes in Ikea. I am a runner that runs about 25 miles a week (so I am in decent shape) and the place exhausts me mentally, physically and emotionally.
I hate IKEA stores because of the way they force you in a specific direction, like rats in a maze. It's almost claustrophobic. So I associate their brand with authoritarianism.
The best way to shop IKEA, IMO, is to identify all the parts on their website. The website is good, it will show you the rack where everything is at the selected store. Make the parts & location list at home.
Then walk in from the exit side straight into the warehouse and pick up the boxes from the aisles you identified before.
The only drawback is that often things which are shown as in-stock are actually not (maybe it is a pandemic era thing).
Then walk in from the exit side straight into the warehouse and pick up the boxes from the aisles you identified before.
The only drawback is that often things which are shown as in-stock are actually not (maybe it is a pandemic era thing).
I really hate being in the store. I hate going to the store, because it means a long drive out into the middle of nowhere. The time it takes to actually shop at ikea isn’t worth the price.
For whatever reason, I also hate being in the store. Something about it feels like I'm in some kind of evil villain's gauntlet fortress, like Bowser's levels.
I know this makes me look a lil crazy to others in the store, but if/ when I go to IKEA (for the prices, honestly), I have no qualms running through the store at my easy pace, to get what I need and get out as quickly as possible.
I know this makes me look a lil crazy to others in the store, but if/ when I go to IKEA (for the prices, honestly), I have no qualms running through the store at my easy pace, to get what I need and get out as quickly as possible.
A lot of people who criticize Ikea focus on their cheap, MDF products. But Ikea also sells a $2500 couch. And I would argue that Ikea's $2500 couch is a much better value than a $2500 couch elsewhere.
This will likely depend where you live and what options are available to you, but my experience with Ikea's most expensive sofas vs similarly priced alternatives in the market has generally been favorable to the alternatives.
At least with the alternative, you sometimes get to pick from more than a handful of the same designs... I quickly grow tired of seeing the exact same Ikea furnishings in so many homes! I was so glad to finally not have a "KIVIK" in my home after decades of the same design. I'd also happily live the rest of my days never seeing a "POÄNG" chair ever again... That I even know these odd-sounding to me in my native tongue words for these products is a massive testament to their extreme ubiquity now.
EDIT: Out of curiosity I googled how many POÄNG chairs are out there, apparently over 30 million and grows at 1.5 million a year!
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Po%C3%A4ng
At least with the alternative, you sometimes get to pick from more than a handful of the same designs... I quickly grow tired of seeing the exact same Ikea furnishings in so many homes! I was so glad to finally not have a "KIVIK" in my home after decades of the same design. I'd also happily live the rest of my days never seeing a "POÄNG" chair ever again... That I even know these odd-sounding to me in my native tongue words for these products is a massive testament to their extreme ubiquity now.
EDIT: Out of curiosity I googled how many POÄNG chairs are out there, apparently over 30 million and grows at 1.5 million a year!
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Po%C3%A4ng
That's fair enough. But I've come to appreciate the consistency of Ikea's furniture. I can go to Ikea and know what a Kallax is. And they actually support and improve their product lines.
If you go to a boutique furniture store, you never know if you will see that table ever again. If you like something, you have to panic buy it right there. And you never know if that product line is a one off, with no interest in long term sales.
If you go to a boutique furniture store, you never know if you will see that table ever again. If you like something, you have to panic buy it right there. And you never know if that product line is a one off, with no interest in long term sales.
> the IKEA hate seems mostly based on snobbery
I don't like IKEA furniture because with very few exceptions, it's cheaply made. I want furniture made from durable materials like solid wood that continue to look nice after years of use and not just when it's new.
IKEA can be fine if the pieces you buy don't get touched very often or you buy their rare pieces that are well made.
I don't like IKEA furniture because with very few exceptions, it's cheaply made. I want furniture made from durable materials like solid wood that continue to look nice after years of use and not just when it's new.
IKEA can be fine if the pieces you buy don't get touched very often or you buy their rare pieces that are well made.
For me, as someone who moves around a lot, being cheaply made is a feature. Real hardwood is much heavier than particle board or pine. The really cheap particle board stuff does just seem to fall apart on its own, but my pine furniture still completely functional, despite dissembling it multiple times. It just looks slightly banged up.
[deleted]
Perhaps you meant durable? My experience is that MDF is substantially heavier by volume, particle board less so but still heavier than most softwoods and certainly less durable.
You'd be pretty hard pressed to find furniture of better quality at the same price point.
> at the same price point
Not if you factor in the cost of repeatedly replacing your IKEA furniture
Not if you factor in the cost of repeatedly replacing your IKEA furniture
Who does this? I have almost all of my furniture from ikea and not a single thing has broken in years of having it. It all seems more structurally sound that high end furniture because ikea is not afraid to use nuts, bolts and metal brackets rather than flimsy wood joinery.
Exactly. I suspect most of the IKEA hate comes from people living in a wealth bubble who've never had to rent and assume the broken bookshelf they see on the side of the road is a genuine IKEA Billy that has somehow been unscavenged.
For people in that bubble, with a few exceptions (Lack!) IKEA furniture is designed to be disassembled and reassembled multiple times while lasting decades. It's an absolute godsend for people who are moving houses every few years.
Most of the garbage flat-pack you see smashed to bits on the side of the road is a knock-off made by another brand with ridiculously shoddy materials. I've personally cracked open an Amart bookshelf before to find honeycombed cardboard providing most of the structural integrity.
For people in that bubble, with a few exceptions (Lack!) IKEA furniture is designed to be disassembled and reassembled multiple times while lasting decades. It's an absolute godsend for people who are moving houses every few years.
Most of the garbage flat-pack you see smashed to bits on the side of the road is a knock-off made by another brand with ridiculously shoddy materials. I've personally cracked open an Amart bookshelf before to find honeycombed cardboard providing most of the structural integrity.
I've IKEA stuff that is 10 years old. If you're a person who doesn't abuse stuff then it's fine. If you have kids (or roomies) vs. IKEA, the kids will win every time tho
That's the thing though. Nowadays people don't really buy furniture with the intention of it lasting a lifetime anymore so you'd be replacing the expensive furniture as well.
I've got a kitchen table from IKEA, it's well made from solid wood. I expect it to last a lifetime.
Sure if you buy a $10 coffee table then it's likely to quickly fall apart but they have a lot of better quality products if you look.
Sure if you buy a $10 coffee table then it's likely to quickly fall apart but they have a lot of better quality products if you look.
>But the IKEA hate seems mostly based on snobbery and/or brand awareness.
I have one and only one reason for hating IKEA, before IKEA furniture was delivered fully built, then IKEA disrupted the market by having people build their own stuff, which, among other things, allowed them to be significantly cheaper. Now, at least were I live you can't have furniture delivered pre-built (unless you buy antiques) but you can hire a handyman to come build it for more than the price difference was between unbuilt and built before IKEA came to dominate.
Aside from that I understand text better than I understand graphics so I am always at a disadvantage dealing with IKEA build instructions, having to go through the drawings 4-5 times trying to identify where two pieces look almost exactly the same but have a significant little difference that must be paid attention to - something they could easily do with a single sentence on the relevant pages describing the differences.
Actually then I guess I have two reasons I hate IKEA.
I have one and only one reason for hating IKEA, before IKEA furniture was delivered fully built, then IKEA disrupted the market by having people build their own stuff, which, among other things, allowed them to be significantly cheaper. Now, at least were I live you can't have furniture delivered pre-built (unless you buy antiques) but you can hire a handyman to come build it for more than the price difference was between unbuilt and built before IKEA came to dominate.
Aside from that I understand text better than I understand graphics so I am always at a disadvantage dealing with IKEA build instructions, having to go through the drawings 4-5 times trying to identify where two pieces look almost exactly the same but have a significant little difference that must be paid attention to - something they could easily do with a single sentence on the relevant pages describing the differences.
Actually then I guess I have two reasons I hate IKEA.
Two the most astonishing things about humanity I learned in the last decade:
there are grown up people who can't follow simple graphic instruction to assemble a piece of furniture
there are grown up people who can't insert a duvet in it's cover... and they are proud of it
there are grown up people who can't follow simple graphic instruction to assemble a piece of furniture
there are grown up people who can't insert a duvet in it's cover... and they are proud of it
I'm in both groups (I suppose they may have significant overlap, as they seem related to some kind of spatial reasoning or perception). Not especially proud, but not ashamed, either.
There are also things that I find trivial and intuitive and other people struggle with. For example, telling "its" from "it's" is a common example.
Different strokes for different folks.
There are also things that I find trivial and intuitive and other people struggle with. For example, telling "its" from "it's" is a common example.
Different strokes for different folks.
>(I suppose they may have significant overlap, as they seem related to some kind of spatial reasoning or perception).
I have ADHD and perhaps some light autism (hard to say as a light autistic-like personality would seem perfectly reasonable given my earlier life), at any rate in high school - in the U.S - they decided I needed some testing and they gave me a battery of Reading comprehension / Math / Spatial reasoning tests, in the reading comprehension I tested at the top 1% of the population, math top 20% of the population, spatial reasoning lowest 3% of the population - which caused them to give me physical therapy for a year with a guy who had me do crab walks and a bunch of other physical exercises to make me capable of walking and chewing gum at the same time I guess. I have also since read there is some overlap with spatial understanding problems and autism.
At any rate I still have a hard time understanding schema diagrams and UML models and of course IKEA building instructions, but I understand directed graphs and tree structures pretty well.
I have ADHD and perhaps some light autism (hard to say as a light autistic-like personality would seem perfectly reasonable given my earlier life), at any rate in high school - in the U.S - they decided I needed some testing and they gave me a battery of Reading comprehension / Math / Spatial reasoning tests, in the reading comprehension I tested at the top 1% of the population, math top 20% of the population, spatial reasoning lowest 3% of the population - which caused them to give me physical therapy for a year with a guy who had me do crab walks and a bunch of other physical exercises to make me capable of walking and chewing gum at the same time I guess. I have also since read there is some overlap with spatial understanding problems and autism.
At any rate I still have a hard time understanding schema diagrams and UML models and of course IKEA building instructions, but I understand directed graphs and tree structures pretty well.
two of the most astonishing things I learned about humanity from a very early age:
different people have different capabilities, thus many people are not able to read or write at my level or to handle higher level of abstractions, but that doesn't make me any better than them because I am not able to deal with visual information as completely as they are (which may be related to some disability)
when you announce that you are not very capable in something there's always somebody who has to talk shit about it.
on edit: fixed grammatical error entered while writing and dealing with hyperactive 4 year old.
different people have different capabilities, thus many people are not able to read or write at my level or to handle higher level of abstractions, but that doesn't make me any better than them because I am not able to deal with visual information as completely as they are (which may be related to some disability)
when you announce that you are not very capable in something there's always somebody who has to talk shit about it.
on edit: fixed grammatical error entered while writing and dealing with hyperactive 4 year old.
> different people have different capabilities
Yes, that's why shipping an unassembled furniture works for the most of the folks just fine.
BTW, shipping more units per truck is all green, eco and saves the world.
Yes, that's why shipping an unassembled furniture works for the most of the folks just fine.
BTW, shipping more units per truck is all green, eco and saves the world.
[deleted]
>Now, at least were I live you can't have furniture delivered pre-built (unless you buy antiques) but you can hire a handyman to come build it for more than the price difference was between unbuilt and built before IKEA came to dominate.
That doesn't add up from where I'm sitting. Hiring someone on Airtasker to build your furniture is about the same price as getting a delivery driver to drop off a piece of furniture.
If you're serious about saving money but struggle with DIY, just type your preferred IKEA product name into Facebook Marketplace. You can generally get them pre-assembled for about a third of the cost of new.
That doesn't add up from where I'm sitting. Hiring someone on Airtasker to build your furniture is about the same price as getting a delivery driver to drop off a piece of furniture.
If you're serious about saving money but struggle with DIY, just type your preferred IKEA product name into Facebook Marketplace. You can generally get them pre-assembled for about a third of the cost of new.
That doesn't add up from where I'm sitting
You missed the very beginning of his comment:
"at least were I live"
Where he lives is not where you live, or where I live. We all live different places with different levels of infrastructure and services available. Because things are different where you are does not negate his experience.
You missed the very beginning of his comment:
"at least were I live"
Where he lives is not where you live, or where I live. We all live different places with different levels of infrastructure and services available. Because things are different where you are does not negate his experience.
Thanks, I was going to make the point but I figured from "where I'm sitting" might just be in reference to their experience, where I'm at is Denmark and things here tend to be expensive, here for example is Ikea's service page https://www.ikea.com/dk/da/customer-service/services/assembl...
So Pax - 2 frames, hinged doors and fittings comes out to about $200+ for building it, little bit under 50 dollars for any order, for 30 dollars they take about the packing etc.
So obviously I end up building it myself in almost all cases, despite the fact that it takes me an hour more than it would everyone else because I always misbuild at least once and figure it out part of the way in, oh that had to be turned this way, I get it now! Could have saved me an hour with just writing "NOTE the small hole at the top edge of this picture, if you do not have that hole in the piece you are using you are using the wrong piece!" But Nope. Never gonna happen.
So Pax - 2 frames, hinged doors and fittings comes out to about $200+ for building it, little bit under 50 dollars for any order, for 30 dollars they take about the packing etc.
So obviously I end up building it myself in almost all cases, despite the fact that it takes me an hour more than it would everyone else because I always misbuild at least once and figure it out part of the way in, oh that had to be turned this way, I get it now! Could have saved me an hour with just writing "NOTE the small hole at the top edge of this picture, if you do not have that hole in the piece you are using you are using the wrong piece!" But Nope. Never gonna happen.
>where I'm at is Denmark and things here tend to be expensive
I'm in Australia, where the minimum wage is the highest in the world (Around US$20 for casual labour, even higher if you're covered by an industry award)!
If you want to pay $200 for an hour's semi-skilled work + $30 to throw a box away, that's on you. Unless Denmark has some incredibly odd demographics, there should be an army of dads on Facebook offering a mobile assembly service for a quarter of that price.
I'm in Australia, where the minimum wage is the highest in the world (Around US$20 for casual labour, even higher if you're covered by an industry award)!
If you want to pay $200 for an hour's semi-skilled work + $30 to throw a box away, that's on you. Unless Denmark has some incredibly odd demographics, there should be an army of dads on Facebook offering a mobile assembly service for a quarter of that price.
At the very least IKEA must have shrunk the market for fully assembled furniture, especially at the low end of the market. Any company that does want to play there is now doing it at substantially lower volume, negatively impacting unit economics.
Where I live I can definitely still buy fully assembled luxury furniture. I’m hard pressed to think of anywhere that would sell you a new, assembled bookcase for under $500 though.
Where I live I can definitely still buy fully assembled luxury furniture. I’m hard pressed to think of anywhere that would sell you a new, assembled bookcase for under $500 though.
There are any number of “real furniture stores” near me that will deliver brand-new furniture (it was always “assembled” as far as they’re concerned).
It’s not at the IKEA price point (which is a large part of the business advantage that IKEA has).
Are there really no furniture stores that deliver to where you live?
It’s not at the IKEA price point (which is a large part of the business advantage that IKEA has).
Are there really no furniture stores that deliver to where you live?
The only thing I have managed to get delivered assembled since moving back to Denmark in 97 has been some antiques / old used furniture. Most furniture home decoration places all work on the IKEA model from my experience, however there are a few places I see that have styles of furniture that strongly remind me of the 70s (while still new somehow) and I don't know if those are build it yourself, I would hope it comes assembled, seems sort of weird to have to build furniture that looks like 70s stuff. But of the furniture stores I have tried in Denmark -
https://www.bolia.com/ https://ilva.dk/ https://jysk.dk/ https://www.boconcept.com/da-dk/
I had to build stuff myself I bought there (although all offered services not priced to where I would want to take them). I also bought some stuff from Illums at one point I had to build.
Most of it is easy enough, but again, my feeling is just Ikea came in, drove the market price down by letting you build at home so everyone went in and did the same thing to compete, and now I cannot buy the things I want without building or paying a significant extra amount because the furniture business is no longer set to handle people not building it themselves - at least in Denmark.
From what I've seen in Italy, Sweden and Germany it seems the same, although that is just me visiting people and they have bought a bunch of stuff not just in Ikea but it needs building.
https://www.bolia.com/ https://ilva.dk/ https://jysk.dk/ https://www.boconcept.com/da-dk/
I had to build stuff myself I bought there (although all offered services not priced to where I would want to take them). I also bought some stuff from Illums at one point I had to build.
Most of it is easy enough, but again, my feeling is just Ikea came in, drove the market price down by letting you build at home so everyone went in and did the same thing to compete, and now I cannot buy the things I want without building or paying a significant extra amount because the furniture business is no longer set to handle people not building it themselves - at least in Denmark.
From what I've seen in Italy, Sweden and Germany it seems the same, although that is just me visiting people and they have bought a bunch of stuff not just in Ikea but it needs building.
Honestly, I kind of enjoy assembling Ikea furniture. It's like Lego for grown-ups.
Legos are for grown-ups though :-). Please find some other analogy.
Edit: Damn HN, some humor, that’s all.
Edit: Damn HN, some humor, that’s all.
True, let's just say "it's like Lego" then, everyone likes Lego!
I don't know, whenever I see some programming language framework that's 'like Lego!' in how you assemble things, I think, damn, these people must hate Lego!
I don't see what the big deal is with assembling furniture from IKEA. Sure it might be a time sink initially, but only it needs to be done once. I bought an IKEA Jerker desk about 16 years ago that's still holding up wonderfully even after multiple moves. Also since I assembled it, I know exactly how quickly disassemble/reassemble it if I need to move it again.
>>unless you buy antiques
That, RIGHT THERE, is a real hidden gem.
If you look around, especially after spending just a bit of time observing and educating yourself, you can find astonishing bargains. They are everywhere, on Craigslist, in thrift stores, etc.. Where I live (New England area), you can find fine mahogany tables, dining room sets, cabinets, etc. for truly cheap money, often even free. It seems that most people these days either just do not appreciate the value of good furniture, or literally do not know what they are missing.
Obviously, you can find antiques that require fortunes to purchase, but that is really just the highly visible tail of the market. Just find a set of styles that suits you, and look for good construction and finishes. For the cost of an Ikea piece that'll last a few years, you can buy furniture that will last a lifetime (and already has lasted several). And the search is fun and builds fun memories.
Highly recommended
That, RIGHT THERE, is a real hidden gem.
If you look around, especially after spending just a bit of time observing and educating yourself, you can find astonishing bargains. They are everywhere, on Craigslist, in thrift stores, etc.. Where I live (New England area), you can find fine mahogany tables, dining room sets, cabinets, etc. for truly cheap money, often even free. It seems that most people these days either just do not appreciate the value of good furniture, or literally do not know what they are missing.
Obviously, you can find antiques that require fortunes to purchase, but that is really just the highly visible tail of the market. Just find a set of styles that suits you, and look for good construction and finishes. For the cost of an Ikea piece that'll last a few years, you can buy furniture that will last a lifetime (and already has lasted several). And the search is fun and builds fun memories.
Highly recommended
Europe here. Mostly agree with a couple of notable exceptions.
I grew up in a home 90% furnished with heirlooms and there are two antique categories I'd never buy for my own use: Dining chairs and beds. They just don't have the size and robustness I find comfortable. Antique beds for two use about the same mattress size as I used for a single growing up. It's horrible. And I can't rock old chairs back and forth without disassembling them spontaneously.
Now day beds, consoles, tables? Cookware? That's all my jam. (except for silver cutlery, taste horrible)
I grew up in a home 90% furnished with heirlooms and there are two antique categories I'd never buy for my own use: Dining chairs and beds. They just don't have the size and robustness I find comfortable. Antique beds for two use about the same mattress size as I used for a single growing up. It's horrible. And I can't rock old chairs back and forth without disassembling them spontaneously.
Now day beds, consoles, tables? Cookware? That's all my jam. (except for silver cutlery, taste horrible)
I'm 1.9 meters and have recently put on weight, several of my modern dining room chairs have disassembled on me spontaneously when I sat on them hard or rocked back and forth.
I'm about the same dimensions and and have taken my share of chairs back to pre-assembly. Furniture in general is pretty crap. Paradoxically I've found IKEA to be one of the most honest brands out there. I can normally tell by their look how sturdy they are.
My mom has one pink plastic IKEA office chair that's been a trooper. It's developed a stress fracture where the back meets the seat that goes at least 70% through the material from me rocking it and the thing is. still. holding. up.
My mom has one pink plastic IKEA office chair that's been a trooper. It's developed a stress fracture where the back meets the seat that goes at least 70% through the material from me rocking it and the thing is. still. holding. up.
I'm about 1.8 meters, and destroyed an old dining room chair some years ago, when I weighed probably 85 kg. I do tend to sit down hard. I can't say how old the chair was--it was something that my wife had bought, probably at a yard sale, some time before we met.
They also design their manuals in a way to save money: they don’t need to get them translated and printed in a dozen languages
I'm sure they have lots of good reasons for doing the things that make me dislike them, but I still dislike them for it.
I despise IKEA manuals, too. I refer to them as "Swedish hieroglyphics." The couple of times I've bought IKEA furniture for my own place, I've had people deliver and assemble it for me.
It’s amusing to me how many people on this supposedly intellectual forum got filtered by fairly simple visual instructions. Perhaps visual and special reasoning is not your strong point?
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Ikea is garbage throwaway furniture that doesn’t last.
I’d love to see the return of quality goods that last forever. I have some inherited ethan allan furniture that was super expensive back in the day. It’s still holding up.
I’d love to see the return of quality goods that last forever. I have some inherited ethan allan furniture that was super expensive back in the day. It’s still holding up.
I recently sold a glass GALANT table that had been with me for like 15 years. I only got rid of it because I got an electronically adjusting table for cheap from the office clearance sale.
My sofa, TV stand, shelves, batteries, drinkware, plates and so on are surviving pretty well too. I've really only had two notable IKEA things break: glass tea jar shattered for unknown reasons, and the gas spring on my office chair broke. Thankfully the office chair had a 10-year warranty, so I had the entire chair replaced under warranty.
My sofa, TV stand, shelves, batteries, drinkware, plates and so on are surviving pretty well too. I've really only had two notable IKEA things break: glass tea jar shattered for unknown reasons, and the gas spring on my office chair broke. Thankfully the office chair had a 10-year warranty, so I had the entire chair replaced under warranty.
Ikea offers a choice of affordable furniture that is easily "good enough". The price point is great for young families: accidents with furniture are not a catastrophe, you can afford to replace it.
If you want design, go for that. If you want solid oak-levels of sturdiness, go for that. Me, if I need a chair/cupboard/wardrobe/..., I don't want to break the bank, but I do want choice of something that'll last long enough.
They're cheap enough so that i wasn't hesitant about trying modifications myself, yet sturdy enough that the furniture survived for over a decade and a half so far, and going strong.
If you want design, go for that. If you want solid oak-levels of sturdiness, go for that. Me, if I need a chair/cupboard/wardrobe/..., I don't want to break the bank, but I do want choice of something that'll last long enough.
They're cheap enough so that i wasn't hesitant about trying modifications myself, yet sturdy enough that the furniture survived for over a decade and a half so far, and going strong.
Have you had ikea furniture fail before? I felt the same, it _feels_ like it’s going to fail but then it just never does. I have a little set of the Malm draws which must be about 15 years old now and are still perfectly fine and like new. While plenty of high end stuff has failed on me because the wood joinery comes loose. Ikea uses nuts and bolts which hold things together much better than joinery.
Yes labor costs are enormous in Denmark, but you should direct your blame inwards towards the population and the government you elect if you want that to change. It's not IKEA causing those.
If you can afford prebuilt solid wooden/metal furniture you really aren't in the price bracket of most IKEA shoppers.
What do you mean "brand awareness?" As in "I hate IKEA because it's IKEA and they're known for cheap furniture?" If that the case, then that's an accurate characterization. Most IKEA furniture is made primarily of particleboard or pine wood, which are both the cheapest materials within their class. I don't know a whole lot about their metal pieces, but I imagine the situation is similar.
All furniture < $300 is going to be made this way. Wayfair, Overstock, etc is this way including the assembly required. Foam cushions/mattresses come with all of the air sucked out to make the shipping size as small as possible.
The weight alone of furniture made with real wood would make shipping multiple times more expensive than the cost of the item.
The weight alone of furniture made with real wood would make shipping multiple times more expensive than the cost of the item.
> The weight alone of furniture made with real wood would make shipping multiple times more expensive than the cost of the item.
That's obviously not true. An 77 1/2" IKEA Hemnes bookcase sells for $199 and is made of pine. A comparable 75" bookcase[0] made of alder costs $550 with free shipping. Since alder costs about 70% more than pine[1], there's no way shipping adds "multiple times... the cost of the item."
---
[0]: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/hemnes-bookcase-white-stain-903...
[1]: https://www.buildwithrise.com/stories/benefits-of-alder-wood
That's obviously not true. An 77 1/2" IKEA Hemnes bookcase sells for $199 and is made of pine. A comparable 75" bookcase[0] made of alder costs $550 with free shipping. Since alder costs about 70% more than pine[1], there's no way shipping adds "multiple times... the cost of the item."
---
[0]: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/hemnes-bookcase-white-stain-903...
[1]: https://www.buildwithrise.com/stories/benefits-of-alder-wood
> But the IKEA hate seems mostly based on snobbery and/or brand awareness.
That seems off, since IKEA is basically the low-cost alternative to fancy brands. I buy in IKEA for the low-cost, good-enough & functional furniture, but with the understanding that it's definitely fairly low quality.
That seems off, since IKEA is basically the low-cost alternative to fancy brands. I buy in IKEA for the low-cost, good-enough & functional furniture, but with the understanding that it's definitely fairly low quality.
I think it is the same with articles like this article: people don't like to assign importance to the banal things, so they come up with all kinds of "clever tricks" explanations.
The banal thing is that IKEA is cheap for this level of quality. (and that this quality is good enough for most people).
> once an Ikea product hits the shelves, the company is militant about maintaining, or even reducing, its retail price
aka Jeff Bozos "your margin is my opportunity".
Being able to run the company with low margins are the best defence against competition.
The banal thing is that IKEA is cheap for this level of quality. (and that this quality is good enough for most people).
> once an Ikea product hits the shelves, the company is militant about maintaining, or even reducing, its retail price
aka Jeff Bozos "your margin is my opportunity".
Being able to run the company with low margins are the best defence against competition.
>aka Jeff Bozos
I don't know if that was typo or deliberate. It's the first I've seen it, but I love it to the point I will forever spell it this way.
I don't know if that was typo or deliberate. It's the first I've seen it, but I love it to the point I will forever spell it this way.
It was a typo, but fitting. IMHO, too much of "mee too" in Blue Origin instead of fixing the long-term "trust in products" problems at Amazon.
But the IKEA hate seems mostly based on snobbery and/or brand awareness.
I don't hate them, on the contrary I'm a regular customer that doesn't mind assembling.
I dislike the "maze", yes I know the shortcuts, but I can't help wondering what would happen in an emergency.
I don't hate them, on the contrary I'm a regular customer that doesn't mind assembling.
I dislike the "maze", yes I know the shortcuts, but I can't help wondering what would happen in an emergency.
You'd get out faster than in most other circumstances?
In an office, one is typically on some crazy floor and can't use the elevator. Home, perhaps one is asleep in one's pyjamas.
In an office, one is typically on some crazy floor and can't use the elevator. Home, perhaps one is asleep in one's pyjamas.
In an emergency you look up for the green escape signs which point exactly to the nearest escape which usually is a door very close by that just leads to a staircase down to ground.
One thing that is nice about IKEA is since everything is pretty standardized you can create mashups that were never intended. For example, they sell a bathroom vanity on little 3 in legs - but the legs are the same as the bookcase legs elsewhere in the store - which are also available in 6 inch. So if you want a higher vanity you can easily do it.
But other stores have caught on to flatpack shipping - you can get solid wood dressers for example from Target shipped as a flatpack and easiesh to assemble (have a power screwdriver or drill torqued down low).
The problem is some of the things you have no idea of the durability until you’ve used it.
For example this is good: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/hejne-4-section-shelving-unit-s... especially for the price (accommodates rack units!) but this is an absolute pain in the arse https://www.ikea.com/us/en/cat/ivar-system-11703/ to get working correctly (I threw it away and burned the rest after the third time shelves bounced and collapsed).
I ended up replacing most of it with wire shelving from Uline.
But other stores have caught on to flatpack shipping - you can get solid wood dressers for example from Target shipped as a flatpack and easiesh to assemble (have a power screwdriver or drill torqued down low).
The problem is some of the things you have no idea of the durability until you’ve used it.
For example this is good: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/hejne-4-section-shelving-unit-s... especially for the price (accommodates rack units!) but this is an absolute pain in the arse https://www.ikea.com/us/en/cat/ivar-system-11703/ to get working correctly (I threw it away and burned the rest after the third time shelves bounced and collapsed).
I ended up replacing most of it with wire shelving from Uline.
The modular aspect of Ikea pieces is a big deal for me because I relocate often for work and have a growing family. We have a sectional sofa that we can turn around depending on what best fits a new space, and we have a sofa with a chaise lounge that we can turn into a straight sofa given an extra cushion and set of covers. Of course, all covers are removable so we can wash them in our machines, and easily change the color to better go with a new space. There are even many unofficial vendors of Ikea sofa covers.
100% this. We have an L-shaped sofa from them that has lasted through 4 different apartments. One side of the L is longer, and we can easily change the orientation to fit the aspect of the apartment living room.
The HEJNE shelves have gone done drastically in quality. Picked up a new version ~3 years ago. Flimsy, wood split while assembling due to flaws. Just re-assembled my mother-in-law's older version. Tighter grain, thicker wood, just more stable.
The IVAR shelves have also started cheaping out. The shelving support rails/clips/whatever were metal and are now plastic. Perhaps they're strong enough but our old version has been going strong since the mid-90s under heavy use. Glue-lam is a strong material.
We are in our 50s and live like students...
The IVAR shelves have also started cheaping out. The shelving support rails/clips/whatever were metal and are now plastic. Perhaps they're strong enough but our old version has been going strong since the mid-90s under heavy use. Glue-lam is a strong material.
We are in our 50s and live like students...
IVAR is fine if you screw it to the wall.
Yeah, the wire crosses are fairly wobbly for narrow setups, but with a little attention to linkage theory/movement, they are far from bad at their job of being shelving.
One great addition is to have one or two columns contain a cabinet-unit, who's wooden back plate provides a lot of reinforcement/stability. For non-wall-mounted setups, one mostly just has to prevent sideways loads that aim to collapse the parallelogram structure.
This is all true, and obviously so. But the flip side is that IKEA does have good stuff at good prices, and they have pretty much everything you need to furnish and equip a home. Walking the entire IKEA maze is still faster than visiting all the separate retailers you would otherwise need to visit, and within the same budget you're likely to get higher quality at IKEA. I'm not saying that their quality is very high, but it's usually at least adequate which is better than what you usually get at lower-end prices at other retailers where quality nowadays is a big crap-shoot and half of all items break after the first few uses.
When I lived in a place that had IKEA stores I dreaded going there, but I never regretted it. Now I live where there aren't any, and I rather miss them.
When I lived in a place that had IKEA stores I dreaded going there, but I never regretted it. Now I live where there aren't any, and I rather miss them.
You don't need to "walk the IKEA maze" if you know your local store. I used to live near the one in south London, and knew all the shortcuts - the first was to walk through a passage by the cafe, then through a set of doors directly opposite, and so on. They're not forbidden to customers, just not obvious because they want you to walk the whole way around. There's definitely something that happens to most people when they walk into an IKEA, as if their conscious mind disconnects and they just blandly obey the behavioural hints in store, like arrows on the floor. It reminds me a bit of slaughterhouses, where the object is to keep the animals as calm as possible right up until the moment that they're killed.
The shortcuts have even been explicitly signposted in all of the IKEAs I have been to.
Same here. I remember the first time finding it because I wanted to get to the food area and one other specific area and thought there has to be a better way. They're not hard to spot if you look for them, doorways (with or without doors) in the walls separating areas.
Now I'll either 'go on the tour' or get the item and out, usually a mix touring a couple areas. The food is also a really good deal and somewhat different from the usual fare. I remember getting a bocconcini and tomato salad for a few dollars. The food is designed to keep you shopping, but you can take advantage of it separately.
Now I'll either 'go on the tour' or get the item and out, usually a mix touring a couple areas. The food is also a really good deal and somewhat different from the usual fare. I remember getting a bocconcini and tomato salad for a few dollars. The food is designed to keep you shopping, but you can take advantage of it separately.
No, there are plenty of hidden in plain sight shortcuts that aren’t marked on the maze board hanging from the ceiling.
Just look at the employees move about, they use double doors to move between sections much more efficiently than you do by using the dotted lines on the ceiling signs.
Just look at the employees move about, they use double doors to move between sections much more efficiently than you do by using the dotted lines on the ceiling signs.
I just walk in the exit, grab what I want and leave. It has never been a problem for me.
Yup. Bought a book case in 1m 30s with this method. I timed it.
How do you know which aisle and row to go to? And which items to take from there?
The website tells you aisle/bin number, you can print out a shopping list and bring it. If you forgot, there's computer terminals in the warehouse section where you can look up where the flatpack you need is kept.
This is tremendous information for me. I have literally avoided going to IKEA for over a year in order to purchase an area rug and end table because I did not want to navigate their maze, spending 2 hours to get those 2 items. I already know exactly what i want from their website.
Thank you!
Thank you!
If that doesn’t work, you can also pay a small, nominal fee for an employee to gather all your stuff and you just come pick it up at the customer service desk. Still ridiculous that you have to pay for the privilege of not wasting 2h in the maze but at least something.
My ikea watches out for that and will actually force you to go through the maze to get to the warehouse. They don’t always enforce it but when they do I just walk out because I can’t deal with the maze especially when I know exactly what I want and just have to pick it up.
That surprises me. If this happened where I live (Scandinavia) I would just ignore them, walk past and go about my business.
My ikea has a staircase going up into the maze. Under the stairs is a door to part 2 of the maze (ground floor)... if you turn left. Right is a shortcut to the warehouse (not the start of it, but aisle 31 or so near the cash registers).
That'd be really weird at the IKEA near me, as it means it would be basically impossible to get to the food court.
They have cheap products at cheap prices. Nothing wrong with that. There's a huge market for disposable chipboard furniture.
But they aren't really any cheaper than the competition when you compare like for like. As soon as you get to real wood they're usually pretty comparable to the rest of the market.
But they aren't really any cheaper than the competition when you compare like for like. As soon as you get to real wood they're usually pretty comparable to the rest of the market.
I've had Ikea furniture last more than ten years; the bookcases I inherited from my grandfather probably lasted more than twenty in total (and I only got rid of them because I moved abroad). I don't think that's "disposable". It depends a bit on which product you get, but overall I find the quality to be pretty decent. The best? No. But certainly not "disposable" either.
There's some shops that offer significantly worse (and often cheaper) quality furniture. I think part of the success of Ikea is that it strikes the right balance between quality and price: you get decent quality for a decent price.
There's some shops that offer significantly worse (and often cheaper) quality furniture. I think part of the success of Ikea is that it strikes the right balance between quality and price: you get decent quality for a decent price.
20 years is disposable for furniture. Well made furniture can easily last 100 years.
I've seen plenty of folks replacing furniture within 20 years. Not necessarily all furniture, but most. 20ish years gets you from student housing (first major buying of furniture) to your kids being teenagers.
For plenty of furniture, that is sufficient.
It lasted 20 years and they were still fine; as I said, I only got rid of them due to a move. They easily could have lasted several more decades.
> They have cheap products at cheap prices.
It depends on what you call a cheap product.
About everything in my home comes from IKEA. Every furniture looks like brand new after decades. The only items that are damaged were damaged during moving between houses. Yes IKEA furniture is sometimes pretty bad at being moved in a truck.
But, while it’s not premium, the quality, for me have something really important : it’s consistent. In a lot of shops, you barely discover at home if you bought something of bad or high quality. At IKEA, you at least know it’ll never be bad quality because even the cheapest item comes in "ok" quality.
I’ve bought literally hundreds pieces of furniture plus an entire kitchen and I’ve been only disappointed once, with a couch, that I still have.
It depends on what you call a cheap product.
About everything in my home comes from IKEA. Every furniture looks like brand new after decades. The only items that are damaged were damaged during moving between houses. Yes IKEA furniture is sometimes pretty bad at being moved in a truck.
But, while it’s not premium, the quality, for me have something really important : it’s consistent. In a lot of shops, you barely discover at home if you bought something of bad or high quality. At IKEA, you at least know it’ll never be bad quality because even the cheapest item comes in "ok" quality.
I’ve bought literally hundreds pieces of furniture plus an entire kitchen and I’ve been only disappointed once, with a couch, that I still have.
I don’t think so. IKEA stuff is way better than cheap crap in other places. Most of their furniture has a long production run and gets tweaked, etc.
The chipboard crap at most places is here today gone tomorrow. You may not like something about a Billy bookcase, but it’s known.
The chipboard crap at most places is here today gone tomorrow. You may not like something about a Billy bookcase, but it’s known.
I wasn't talking about chipboard competitors.
If you call IKEA furniture cardboard then you’ve clearly never bought any. I’m sure you can find stuff they sell that’s composite (I’d assume desks) but you’d have to look. Everything I have from IKEA is real wood, it’s cheap lightweight wood, but it’s wood.
IKEA’s value prop is that for the same price as places like Wayfair you get a little better quality, the stuff looks good together in a house, and it’s not offensively designed or chugey.
shudders so much faux weathered “farmhouse” garbage.
IKEA’s value prop is that for the same price as places like Wayfair you get a little better quality, the stuff looks good together in a house, and it’s not offensively designed or chugey.
shudders so much faux weathered “farmhouse” garbage.
There’s literally many pieces of Ikea furniture that are made from cardboard covered in melamine sheeting. Some of it even holds up well as long as you don’t get water in it. My coffee table was $12 when I bought it 10 years ago, and it’s still fine, and it’s made literally from cardboard.
That said, Ikea has plenty of solid wood furniture, mostly of pine, and if you apply wood glue to the pegs during assembly it’s extremely durable and long lasting for it’s price. I have a dresser from Ikea that was “stain yourself”. I assembled and sealed it when I was 14. I’m almost 40, and it’s still in fantastic condition.
That said, Ikea has plenty of solid wood furniture, mostly of pine, and if you apply wood glue to the pegs during assembly it’s extremely durable and long lasting for it’s price. I have a dresser from Ikea that was “stain yourself”. I assembled and sealed it when I was 14. I’m almost 40, and it’s still in fantastic condition.
"Lack" coffee tables are actually made out of cardboard, with acrylic coating and some particle board in the critical spots. You can actually punch right through one of those tables quite easily if you try, but for static loads the honeycomb cardboard filling is extremely strong, to the point that you can stand on top of it.
It’s not that hard, some of their most popular lines are cardboard or chipboard. Lack is largely cardboard. Malm is chipboard.
The poster above you called it chipboard, not cardboard, but I've always called it cardboard myself. And I consider myself something of an IKEA fan. IKEA doesn't even hide this - they've put up cross-sections of their furniture before and you can see that it is a veneer over what is essentially cardboard. That said, it seems to work quite well. It's far from heirloom quality furniture, but it does the job, and I completely agree with you that it's strength is a unified design that makes it easy to mix/match in your house and come up with a nice, modern look for a quite affordable price.
Only the absolutely cheapest stuff is structural cardboard or particle board or MDF. One exception is probably the PAX series of wardrobe/closet system, which is relatively expensive though it's veneered particle board. The kitchen cabinets are also MDF, but relatively cheap. Definitely cheaper than most competing modular systems (that tend to also be MDF these days).
But a lot of their furniture is solid wood.
But a lot of their furniture is solid wood.
Their kitchen cabinets are definitely veneered particle board, it’s rather heavy weight and good quality particle board though, it’s comparable to quality-MDF in weight.
Ikea Lack tables (the 10$ 50x50cm ones everyone has) are literally cardboard laid on its side between two panels of laminate. This is standard for ikea stuff.
Some of it is chipboard with veneer, and the rest is massive but cheapo soft wood like pine (and that’s the “luxury” bracket in IKEAs offering, the most expensive in the store.
Some of it is chipboard with veneer, and the rest is massive but cheapo soft wood like pine (and that’s the “luxury” bracket in IKEAs offering, the most expensive in the store.
And was just saying this to my wife the other day: explains why they seem to have avoided moving with any effort to online shopping, even in the last two years of COVID lockdowns. With online shopping they can't really push you through a maze of junk before you get to the checkout.
Around here you can buy things online from IKEA but they make the shipping and delivery a pain and more expensive than their competition.
Around here you can buy things online from IKEA but they make the shipping and delivery a pain and more expensive than their competition.
My experience with IKEA online in Europe has been fine. Scheduled delivery at a date and time of your own choosing, and the items are delivered from street to a room in your apartment.
The sticker price of the delivery sounds high at first glance (~$100 USD), when picking up from the store is "free". But having to rent a van, drive to/from IKEA, and do manual loading/unloading heavy boxes up three flights of stairs... that's a lot of time that would be spent, and I think I prefer paying for the delivery.
The sticker price of the delivery sounds high at first glance (~$100 USD), when picking up from the store is "free". But having to rent a van, drive to/from IKEA, and do manual loading/unloading heavy boxes up three flights of stairs... that's a lot of time that would be spent, and I think I prefer paying for the delivery.
The big problem is small purchases. If you spend less than ~100 they'll tell you any large item you've picked is "unavailable". I wish they just let you pay more for shipping.
It was pre-COVID, 2018, but the worst consumer experience I ever had was an online order for delivery of some Ikea bookcases. The estimate was 4-6 weeks, and I started inquiring after 8 weeks. The official third-party shipper blamed it on Ikea, and Ikea blamed it on the third-party shipper when I finally reached them on the phone. We gave it another 4 weeks and then cancelled the order. After 4 more weeks they still hadn't refunded my credit card, so I had to contact my credit card issuer to fight the charge.
With that said, my wife and I still love Ikea, and we've done some pretty extreme things to buy their stuff in-person. This includes driving many hours for weekend getaways to the nearest city with an Ikea to do a bunch of things (zoo, aquarium, etc.) but primarily to get something from the Ikea, and dealing with some very sketchy unofficial third-party services that help buy Ikea goods (at a 2x markup) in places where you couldn't otherwise get them (Hawaii and Korea). Even with a 2x markup, there are some great deals.
With that said, my wife and I still love Ikea, and we've done some pretty extreme things to buy their stuff in-person. This includes driving many hours for weekend getaways to the nearest city with an Ikea to do a bunch of things (zoo, aquarium, etc.) but primarily to get something from the Ikea, and dealing with some very sketchy unofficial third-party services that help buy Ikea goods (at a 2x markup) in places where you couldn't otherwise get them (Hawaii and Korea). Even with a 2x markup, there are some great deals.
I wanted to buy a $6 shoehorn online from IKEA. When I reached the checkout page, I selected the click and collect option. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw they were going to charge me an additional $5 to pick up the item myself. I ended up walking through their silly maze to save $5. (Prices in AUD.)
Here they charge you $5 and give you a $5 coupon “for next timel” to keep you hooked.
That's an interesting observation. I've often been amazed how bad Ikea's online purchasing system is - and maybe you're right, that it's designed to incentivise you to visit their stores.
> shipping and delivery a pain and more expensive than their competition.
it's "more expensive" because competitors put shipping in the higher base price.
it's "more expensive" because competitors put shipping in the higher base price.
it's possible, but it's also the case that companies that focus on making online distribution work get efficiencies and economies of scale from doing lots of that
> avoided moving with any effort to online shopping
That's a strange thing to say, I've bought multiple pieces of furniture from them online, I thought they were great.
That's a strange thing to say, I've bought multiple pieces of furniture from them online, I thought they were great.
Why would they pivot their entire logistics workflow and supply chain to something that likely isn’t profitable for them outside of a pandemic? They did Pick and Click (ie, curbside pickup) at all their stores, which we did several times. It worked great, was safe for everyone, and used their existing infrastructure. And if our store was any indicator, they got plenty of business to justify offering it for sure.
Why pivot? Because during the pandemic especially their competition (existing and new) did pivot and now people expect smooth online ordering for things they never ordered before.
Long time friend of mine is an engineering director @ Article Furniture (hiring BTW), and companies like that seem to be doing well out of the transition. If I am now used to buying almost anything online, and can now buy sleek modern furniture online without hassle and with excellent logistics, why would I drag my ass to an IKEA?
I don't feel like COVID is much of a threat anymore at least not right now, but the thought of sharing stale air and maneuvering a shopping cart around a rats maze of junk still fills me with dread. The only thing that would get me there is the free EV charging, just cuz.
Long time friend of mine is an engineering director @ Article Furniture (hiring BTW), and companies like that seem to be doing well out of the transition. If I am now used to buying almost anything online, and can now buy sleek modern furniture online without hassle and with excellent logistics, why would I drag my ass to an IKEA?
I don't feel like COVID is much of a threat anymore at least not right now, but the thought of sharing stale air and maneuvering a shopping cart around a rats maze of junk still fills me with dread. The only thing that would get me there is the free EV charging, just cuz.
While it's "impulsive buys", they are at least for me still intentional. I go to IKEA when I know I need new stuff, but without explicitly listing all the small stuff. I know I will go through every department, and then see whatever it is I need on the way.
I feel like this is twisting numbers. The fact that 60% are "impuls buys" doesn't mean you are "tricked into buying more". If someone is renovating or moving, then they might go to Ikea to find a new bed or a new sofa, and then find they also need a sofa table, or bed table that they had not planned to buy. This is typically what we do, we don't make a full list of what we need ahead of time, we know some major parts, and then we browse and pick up more things we need. That might mean that 60% of what we buy wasn't "planned" but we weren't tricked into buying more stuff, we just figured out what we wanted along the way.
Naturally this makes the layout of Ikea important, because if you never go through the lighting department, you're not going to remember that you'd actually been wanting a desklamp and pick one out. But this isn't some sort of clever psychological hack thats tricking you into buying a lamp you don't need.
Naturally this makes the layout of Ikea important, because if you never go through the lighting department, you're not going to remember that you'd actually been wanting a desklamp and pick one out. But this isn't some sort of clever psychological hack thats tricking you into buying a lamp you don't need.
IKEA "impulse" buys aren't the same kind of actual impulse buy as unnecessary food or clothes or books when you find them; they are normally useful things one didn't remember to intend buying, or even useful things that one didn't know were available (e.g. something you noticed in someone's home but didn't know was an IKEA product).
For reasonably disciplined people looking at just about the whole store and collecting as much as possible of the intersection between what they should buy and what is available is the normal way to amortize the cost of all that walking, and planning to buy something is only a worst-case guarantee that an IKEA visit will be worthwhile.
For reasonably disciplined people looking at just about the whole store and collecting as much as possible of the intersection between what they should buy and what is available is the normal way to amortize the cost of all that walking, and planning to buy something is only a worst-case guarantee that an IKEA visit will be worthwhile.
When I see videos of people creating custom made tables from a large slab of oak and some resin pour, it looks awesome, but probably IKEA could furnish your whole house using the same amount of wood and still cost less. IKEA is a blessing for this planet.
As for self-assembled stuff perceived to be more valuable, I also think it is nice to know that you can assemble, and more importantly, disassemble it yourself. It's more repairable (IKEA sells spare parts as well), makes moving easier, and also allows you to "hack" IKEA products: https://ikeahackers.net/
As for self-assembled stuff perceived to be more valuable, I also think it is nice to know that you can assemble, and more importantly, disassemble it yourself. It's more repairable (IKEA sells spare parts as well), makes moving easier, and also allows you to "hack" IKEA products: https://ikeahackers.net/
but probably IKEA could furnish your whole house using the same amount of wood and still cost less. IKEA is a blessing for this planet.
Except that IKEA product last far shorter. We moved frequently due to being in academia, Billy bookshelves are often pretty much worn-out after disassembling and assembling them 2-3 times. We had IKEA sofas (not the cheapest models) that would wear out in 3-5 years. The surface of our relatively expensive IKEA dining table cracked open twice. They replaced it, no questions asked, but their quality is quite mediocre.
Before IKEA, in The Netherlands Lundia bookshelves were popular. They were made of massive wood and designed to be easy to assemble/disassemble. They would often last and be passed between generations. I knew fellow students who had 30 year old Lundia bookshelves that were passed on from their parents and moved from house to house and then from student home to student home.
Besides that, I really hate shopping at Ikea. It's far too chaotic and annoying. (The trick is going on weekdays and knowing all the shortcuts.)
Except that IKEA product last far shorter. We moved frequently due to being in academia, Billy bookshelves are often pretty much worn-out after disassembling and assembling them 2-3 times. We had IKEA sofas (not the cheapest models) that would wear out in 3-5 years. The surface of our relatively expensive IKEA dining table cracked open twice. They replaced it, no questions asked, but their quality is quite mediocre.
Before IKEA, in The Netherlands Lundia bookshelves were popular. They were made of massive wood and designed to be easy to assemble/disassemble. They would often last and be passed between generations. I knew fellow students who had 30 year old Lundia bookshelves that were passed on from their parents and moved from house to house and then from student home to student home.
Besides that, I really hate shopping at Ikea. It's far too chaotic and annoying. (The trick is going on weekdays and knowing all the shortcuts.)
I won't deny that solid wood furniture will last longer, but I have been in a similar situation for many years, but our IKEA sofas all lasted much longer. In fact, I don't think anything really broke in the last 20 years (and 95% of our furniture is IKEA).
The only annoying thing about the Billy bookshelves is the backplate which you are supposed to attach using nails. We replace those with small screws instead, making it much easier to disassemble and reassemble, although there definitely is a limit to how often you can do that while using the same holes.
The only annoying thing about the Billy bookshelves is the backplate which you are supposed to attach using nails. We replace those with small screws instead, making it much easier to disassemble and reassemble, although there definitely is a limit to how often you can do that while using the same holes.
If you want to disassemble anything even standard wood screws won't let you do it multiple times (you can fill in the boss with toothpicks/pva, but still). What you want is machine bolts and metal (zinc) wood inserts. Since it's chipboard, it'd take epoxy when installing the wood inserts. Unlimited amount of assembly/disassembly.
>after disassembling
Not sure what you compare, solid wood assembled with PVA and joints is not a subject of any disassembly method at all.
Not sure what you compare, solid wood assembled with PVA and joints is not a subject of any disassembly method at all.
You disassemble them to move them? No wonder they don't last — I've found that IKEA products are solid & sturdy until the fasteners are removed and/or work their way out on their own (which doesn't happen too often, but can and does on frequently moved/shaken parts such as drawers or desks.
You can reassemble them with some extra mix of PVA and/or epoxy/wood shavings to fill in. Ikea furniture is easy to repair
Going to IKEA drives me absolutely bonkers. I went with my son to buy a few things, ended up going through their amazingly frustrating maze jam packed with people 3 times and finally gave up. Wanted to compare a few different storage solutions to each other but it was maddening trying to get back and forth between a few different sections and trying to remember what was where sucked. I ended up buying much less than we wanted and went home and my wife was mad at me. I am not going anymore.
If the store is so crowded you can't fit, that means IKEA's only mistake is in not opening more stores.
The article was a relatively entertaining description of some psychological but for me there’s a more important reason I buy more than in planned for, IKEA’s design is quite good.
I fall into the “IKEA as Disneyland” camp. For me there’s tons of inspiration from their designs and layouts that I wouldn’t have thought about on my own —- this is particularly true for organization and maximizing utility in small spaces.
Most people are not professional interior designers so it helps to draw inspiration from professionals. If left on their own the things people “think they need” is far less than the things they actually need — people need more, and that’s not a bad thing. I’m not talking about over the top consumerism or aimlessly amassing stuff. I’m certain this is a lot of appeal to shows on HGTV. You see how they design something similar to your house then steal the ideas.
I’m also attracted to their minimalistic design. Simple designs and neutral colors never seems to go out of style and blend well with everything. Given IKEAs diversity the same products are sold around the world —- Europe, Japan, America —- so they need a timeless and borderless approach. I’ve probably bought far less from IKEA because I never feel the design is old.
I also like the little stories about they inspiration for design. The article mentions how cheap product make IKEA seems like a bargain but even the cheap stuff is well thought out. One designer commented that the plush toys don’t have plastic eyes, they are all stitched / embroidered. The designer realized this after seeing a child with a stuffed animal that only had one eye. The designer thought no child’s toy should eyeless and fixed try problem.
IKEA isn’t the only store where good design sells products. Muji is another. I almost always walk out of there buying more than planned. I think it’s easy to attribute this to psychological manipulation but sometimes making a better product and demonstrating how he utility is the real secret sauce.
For people interested in design, particularly the theory side, check out the work by Kenya Hara, the design director for Muji.
I fall into the “IKEA as Disneyland” camp. For me there’s tons of inspiration from their designs and layouts that I wouldn’t have thought about on my own —- this is particularly true for organization and maximizing utility in small spaces.
Most people are not professional interior designers so it helps to draw inspiration from professionals. If left on their own the things people “think they need” is far less than the things they actually need — people need more, and that’s not a bad thing. I’m not talking about over the top consumerism or aimlessly amassing stuff. I’m certain this is a lot of appeal to shows on HGTV. You see how they design something similar to your house then steal the ideas.
I’m also attracted to their minimalistic design. Simple designs and neutral colors never seems to go out of style and blend well with everything. Given IKEAs diversity the same products are sold around the world —- Europe, Japan, America —- so they need a timeless and borderless approach. I’ve probably bought far less from IKEA because I never feel the design is old.
I also like the little stories about they inspiration for design. The article mentions how cheap product make IKEA seems like a bargain but even the cheap stuff is well thought out. One designer commented that the plush toys don’t have plastic eyes, they are all stitched / embroidered. The designer realized this after seeing a child with a stuffed animal that only had one eye. The designer thought no child’s toy should eyeless and fixed try problem.
IKEA isn’t the only store where good design sells products. Muji is another. I almost always walk out of there buying more than planned. I think it’s easy to attribute this to psychological manipulation but sometimes making a better product and demonstrating how he utility is the real secret sauce.
For people interested in design, particularly the theory side, check out the work by Kenya Hara, the design director for Muji.
I think this is a pretty well known hack but the durability of IKEA furniture increases dramatically with one simple trick, which is to glue everything together when you assemble it.
Just get a bottle of very good wood glue like Titebond III and apply it to every surface that touches another surface while you’re putting it together and most of the shaky fall apart if you lean on it qualities can be eliminated.
Just get a bottle of very good wood glue like Titebond III and apply it to every surface that touches another surface while you’re putting it together and most of the shaky fall apart if you lean on it qualities can be eliminated.
We have IKEA in HK. I don’t understand how anybody can claim that its layout is maze-like. It is, to the contrary, expressly linear, with some shortcuts if you really want to skip some sections. Every section is also clearly labeled and you know exactly where you are at.
I think IKEA in Hong Kong has a completely different business model from most of the world since their stores are located in prime shopping malls and shopping districts instead of out-of-town which is more common elsewhere. It's quite common for people to just visit the bistro to grab a snack and teenage couples tend to hang out on the sofas after school which I think is quite unique to the HK branches. In general the experience is very localised, for example, the showrooms tend to focus on how efficiently you can furnish your 250 square foot shoebox and there is a bigger focus on ancillaries because most people don't have cars.
It's a labyrinth, not a maze. There is a single path, but it's circuitous.
I never understood that comparison either. I think the thing authors are usually trying to get at is that you can't see the exit from the entrance.
It’s in comparison to Home Depot or similar - the difference between navigating a grid city layout and a random organic one.
Maybe the difference is cultural/environmental? I live in Europe in a city with organic street layout and I find Ikea easy to navigate. Unlike typical grid layout store, I can remember location of every section because they are more distinct. Also shortcuts feel natural just like when driving in the city. I always use them to skip 70% of the store. In a grid layout store I'm always lost, because I can't remember the aisles despite visiting them much more often.
That may be the case for multiple visits - I have no real problem with the Ikea layout but a friend of mine will never ever step foot in one again, so there's no chance he'll learn the layout.
More so than IKEA, the store that makes me buy a lot more than I planned on is Costco.
It also uses the cheap food trick ($1.50 hot dog, $5 rotisserie chicken) as well.
I tell myself I am going to run in and get one thing, but I come out with my shopping cart full.
Because Costco changes what they carry on a regular basis as well as the promotions, whenever you see a sale, you want to immediately grab a bunch of stuff.
Also add its super friendly return policies and you are thinking “If I don’t like it, I can always just bring it back”.
It also uses the cheap food trick ($1.50 hot dog, $5 rotisserie chicken) as well.
I tell myself I am going to run in and get one thing, but I come out with my shopping cart full.
Because Costco changes what they carry on a regular basis as well as the promotions, whenever you see a sale, you want to immediately grab a bunch of stuff.
Also add its super friendly return policies and you are thinking “If I don’t like it, I can always just bring it back”.
I agree. We're currently affiliated with Sam's Club (we switch back and forth to maximize the free membership deals). I feel like we never get out of Sam's Club or Costco for less than $100, regardless of what we went for originally.
I wonder if the size of the warehouse has some effect. In that size space, things look smaller and less substantial so you buy more or subconsciously feel more need.
I know I bought a TV and thought it looked ok / a bit small but then when I got home it was huge. I had measured prior to going and was between two sizes.
I know I bought a TV and thought it looked ok / a bit small but then when I got home it was huge. I had measured prior to going and was between two sizes.
Costco and Trader Joe’s excel at the “make you buy more than you wanted and be happy about it” way more than anyone else - you come out with a full cart and tell yourself you did a good job even though you went in intending to buy a single thing.
I think a key difference is you don’t feel tricked about the quality, whereas half the crap from IKEA has been absolutely insanely cheap quality and undurable as all get out (and the other half is a good deal for the price; the hard part is distinguishing- you have to identify the weakpoints that will be problematic in your use case).
I think a key difference is you don’t feel tricked about the quality, whereas half the crap from IKEA has been absolutely insanely cheap quality and undurable as all get out (and the other half is a good deal for the price; the hard part is distinguishing- you have to identify the weakpoints that will be problematic in your use case).
IKEA is essentially a bank, as a friend explained to me. They pay suppliers late and meanwhile get paid for selling the furniture made from the supplied parts.
Personally I'm a big fan of their simple designs and some of the style, and a regular buyer of book shelves.
Personally I'm a big fan of their simple designs and some of the style, and a regular buyer of book shelves.
Don't they teach in business school to pay suppliers late? That's universal of any company with enough size (buying power) to get away with it.
https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/suppliers/food-and-drink-manufac...
https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/suppliers/food-and-drink-manufac...
IKEA has a bank in Sweden - Ikano Bank.
It handles my branded car credit card, among a lot of other things.
It handles my branded car credit card, among a lot of other things.
They're also a charity, so they don't pay income tax.
I have always called the inside of an Ikea store intestines. Mainly because the make sure that you mostly have to go past everything to find the thing you want.
Ikea maximises surface area of things for sale as you move through. The human gut uses the same trick to maximise getting food into you blood via villi.
* As a side note, I know that Ikea has shortcuts. Thank fuck! But if you walk through the store wandering aimlessly following everyone else, you are being maximised.
Ikea maximises surface area of things for sale as you move through. The human gut uses the same trick to maximise getting food into you blood via villi.
* As a side note, I know that Ikea has shortcuts. Thank fuck! But if you walk through the store wandering aimlessly following everyone else, you are being maximised.
I went once during COVID and they had closed signs on all the shortcuts…
Unrelated nasty IKEA trick I noticed:
I ordered a desk online. The previous time I ordered something from IKEA, I received a bazillion messages from them on the day of delivery.
This time, I received one message: the desk was being picked up. After that: total silence. At the end of the day, I called to ask what's up. Apparently they didn't have the desks, and it would be months until they would be back in stock.
What I learned: If you don't get stalked about the status of your delivery, you don't need to stay at home. You're not getting it.
What I did: told them I'd wait for the next delivery, and expressed my annoyance. Got a coupon because of that, then cancelled. I couldn't help myself: if they play tricks on me, I have to return the favour.
I ordered a desk online. The previous time I ordered something from IKEA, I received a bazillion messages from them on the day of delivery.
This time, I received one message: the desk was being picked up. After that: total silence. At the end of the day, I called to ask what's up. Apparently they didn't have the desks, and it would be months until they would be back in stock.
What I learned: If you don't get stalked about the status of your delivery, you don't need to stay at home. You're not getting it.
What I did: told them I'd wait for the next delivery, and expressed my annoyance. Got a coupon because of that, then cancelled. I couldn't help myself: if they play tricks on me, I have to return the favour.
Depends on IKEA/country I suppose?
I recently tried to order a chair (it was in stock when I ordered).
On the delivery day I got delivered two other items in the same order and later I got a call about how they couldn't deliver the chair because it out of stock.
Got a full refund for the chair price (without any action on my part), a coupon for smaaaal amount and a 1/3rd part of the delivery fare as a 'compensation'.
I recently tried to order a chair (it was in stock when I ordered).
On the delivery day I got delivered two other items in the same order and later I got a call about how they couldn't deliver the chair because it out of stock.
Got a full refund for the chair price (without any action on my part), a coupon for smaaaal amount and a 1/3rd part of the delivery fare as a 'compensation'.
Never had any problems with IKEA furniture. Yes, they're cheap, but honestly what do I expect from a €30 bookcase? I have four LAIVAs, two filled with books and two with electronic parts drawers and they're perfect for size constrained rooms. Their office chairs are good albeit cheap, although harder suspensions for bigfoot-sized humans like me would be welcome. Their branded batteries, USB chargers/power supplies and light bulbs are also surprisingly very good and durable for the price, and some of the food is delicious (don't miss the horseradish "sas peparrot" sauce with their meatballs).
The only moment I deeply hated them was when they sent a cease and desist letter to the owner of ikeahackers.net, a site where people send their mods of IKEA furniture, therefore it helps sales, but the stupidity of copyright lawyers never ceases to amaze us. Luckily they reached an agreement, and the site is still active.
About the tricks, I'm sure everyone employs some; from grocery stores keeping more expensive stuff at easier to reach heights to others promoting a few products at discounted price while most of the others are inflated, so one gets there and buys everything, including more expensive ones, anyway because they know that driving to another store would be a much bigger nuisance. I wish there was a book on how to defend ourselves against all those marketing tactics, that is, one written for common people, not for salesmen.
About the tricks, I'm sure everyone employs some; from grocery stores keeping more expensive stuff at easier to reach heights to others promoting a few products at discounted price while most of the others are inflated, so one gets there and buys everything, including more expensive ones, anyway because they know that driving to another store would be a much bigger nuisance. I wish there was a book on how to defend ourselves against all those marketing tactics, that is, one written for common people, not for salesmen.
Start by saying that i have a lot of IKEA stuff in my home: glasses, towels, plates, lamps.
But IKEA has had a devastating effect in two ways:
1. Wherever they’ve established themselves, they’ve devastated the ‘middle’ ground of quality-made furniture. In England before IKEA there used to be an immense choice of sofa and furniture makers, many of them producing really well-designed and reasonably priced items, like HABITAT for instance (which significantly was bought by IKEA sometime in the 90s). The large number of choices like this, but even other smaller-scale designers get wiped-out by IKEA’s steamroller.
2. The other problem has always been the way IKEA will copy a design from a smaller designer, and wipe them out that way. These days they’re a bit smarter about doing this, and instead of copying designs and getting the internet backlash they’d suffer nowadays, they partner with cool designers (like Danish Hay) and get ‘cred’ instead.
So even though we probably save some money in the short term, we’ve lost a flourishing landscape of smaller and more diverse, and more local alternatives.
But IKEA has had a devastating effect in two ways:
1. Wherever they’ve established themselves, they’ve devastated the ‘middle’ ground of quality-made furniture. In England before IKEA there used to be an immense choice of sofa and furniture makers, many of them producing really well-designed and reasonably priced items, like HABITAT for instance (which significantly was bought by IKEA sometime in the 90s). The large number of choices like this, but even other smaller-scale designers get wiped-out by IKEA’s steamroller.
2. The other problem has always been the way IKEA will copy a design from a smaller designer, and wipe them out that way. These days they’re a bit smarter about doing this, and instead of copying designs and getting the internet backlash they’d suffer nowadays, they partner with cool designers (like Danish Hay) and get ‘cred’ instead.
So even though we probably save some money in the short term, we’ve lost a flourishing landscape of smaller and more diverse, and more local alternatives.
Habitat was sold to the Ikano group after Ikano had been split off from Ikea.
The ikano group is simply an entity of the Kamprad family ( mostly for tax purposes).
I love the "adult disney world" analogy. IKEA gets a lot of (well deserved, I guess) hate in my circles, but I love it. It reminds me of my childhood, going there with my mom, eating meatballs and assembling the furniture in the afternoon. Plus you can walk through the showroom and imagine all the different kind of paths your life might play out.
Also, you get to watch young couples have their first real argument.
If you look carefully, shortcuts are signposted, but - of course - not highlighted.
But you can still get lost because the exit isn't.
But you can still get lost because the exit isn't.
Follow the fire escape signs. And if you get to a fire escape door use it and stay you were confused.
Things like "When you catch a glimpse of yourself in an Ikea room, you’re primed to believe you belong in it" and "Familiarity encourages purchasing" are surely among the long list of psychological effects that won't replicate.
Considering there are all kinds of egresses to different sections of the store as you wind your way around the marketplace, it's ridiculous for this article to harp on how IKEA forces you to go only in one direction and in a single file line.
IKEA doesn’t trick you into buying more stuff; it organizes its stuff to trigger compulsive buyers to buy more stuff that they don’t need. IKEA is actually quite good about providing inventory locations and stock; you can shop online and pre-plan your entire run before you set foot in the store.
If they were really committed to dark-patterning your shopping experience, they would make inventory harder to find and play games with their pricing (like what Best Buy does for expensive phones, i.e. display the per-month price of the phone with its total amount underneath it).
If they were really committed to dark-patterning your shopping experience, they would make inventory harder to find and play games with their pricing (like what Best Buy does for expensive phones, i.e. display the per-month price of the phone with its total amount underneath it).
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> Let’s say there are 2 cabinets for sale: a $40 budget unit, and an $80 unit with more premium materials. Ikea might create a 3rd unit — one that offers neither the low price of the budget unit, nor the premium materials of the pricier unit — to make the others look better.
I strongly suspect I'm the chump who buys the 3rd unit.
I strongly suspect I'm the chump who buys the 3rd unit.
For someone who is not attached to money knowing that we all will someday perish from this world, and is cognizant of only purchasing items within the means of affordability, the IKEA experience is compatible with me. So don't see where the hate comes from
Showing me more items I want at a price I think is acceptable is not the same as tricking me.
Are there even decent competitors now for furniture at IKEA’s price point?
I feel it’s either IKEA or pay 5 times the price for the local furniture shop.
I was recently shopping for baby beds and I was absolutely convinced IKEA had the safest and cheapest baby bed by far. No contest.
I feel it’s either IKEA or pay 5 times the price for the local furniture shop.
I was recently shopping for baby beds and I was absolutely convinced IKEA had the safest and cheapest baby bed by far. No contest.
It's not just IKEA, it's every big store out there, no matter what they sell.
Out entire economic system depends on people buying more and more stuff, stuff they usually don't need, and they only buy because they were "tricked" to buy.
Out entire economic system depends on people buying more and more stuff, stuff they usually don't need, and they only buy because they were "tricked" to buy.
Car marketing is the worst. Buy this car and you can have a beautiful wife, healthy and happy children, a nice house in the suburbs, people fawning over you and empty roads to drive on.
The impressive thing about this article for me is that it applies to any of their stores around the world. It doesn't matter if you are in Hong Kong, Sweden, the US or a small province in Italy: the layout is really always the same.
Also, the meatballs pile infographic is stolen from CERN piling up CDs to the moon. :P
I've bookmarked this article for its exemplar writing style. There's no cruft, and it efficiently conveys intelligent, well referenced ideas. It's not often the reader's time and intelligence are respected. Kudos!
There was a fascinating Econtalk episode where they discussed some of the narrative about why milk is at the back of the store: https://www.econtalk.org/munger-on-milk/
Which ended up turning into a friendly debate with Michael Pollan: https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2014/07/23/334076398/epis...
TL:DR; there are a lot more logistical reasons they put milk in the back of the store than there are psychological ones.
I don't feel like Ikea is necessarily a comparison. A grocery store is supposed to be convenient. I go to Ikea because I don't know what I want yet, and their showrooms are excellent. And since I plan on spending half a day there, of course I want to buy a few things when I'm there.
Which ended up turning into a friendly debate with Michael Pollan: https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2014/07/23/334076398/epis...
TL:DR; there are a lot more logistical reasons they put milk in the back of the store than there are psychological ones.
I don't feel like Ikea is necessarily a comparison. A grocery store is supposed to be convenient. I go to Ikea because I don't know what I want yet, and their showrooms are excellent. And since I plan on spending half a day there, of course I want to buy a few things when I'm there.
Idk, every time I go to IKEA, I find the experience magical.
The headline is click-baity…no one who had been to IKEA once has ever been tricked by any of this the second time.
The headline is click-baity…no one who had been to IKEA once has ever been tricked by any of this the second time.
Related, IKEA is the world's largest nonprofit.
https://archive.is/pDmLm
https://archive.is/pDmLm
anecdotally i’ll go to ikea for a specific product but will always end up picking up some small items impulsively
i wonder what the proportion of a typical spend looks like breaking down planned vs impulsive
my guess is majority of money is actually planned and while you buy more items impulsively they’re usually small/disposable/refill purchases (napkins/chopping boards/cups/plastic bags)
i wonder what the proportion of a typical spend looks like breaking down planned vs impulsive
my guess is majority of money is actually planned and while you buy more items impulsively they’re usually small/disposable/refill purchases (napkins/chopping boards/cups/plastic bags)
Solution: make a shopping list and stick to it. Works in all retail selling formats.
I love going through the store in reverse if I know what I'm getting precisely to rebel against their manipulation.
It does feel outright illegal.
When I do go I'm the correct direction it is a power walk where I shoot through sections to bypass slow walkers and use their shortcuts (they do technically exist)
It does feel outright illegal.
When I do go I'm the correct direction it is a power walk where I shoot through sections to bypass slow walkers and use their shortcuts (they do technically exist)
> The home furnishings giant enlists a maze-like layout, cheap food, ... to get you to fill up your cart.
Thank you, captain obvious... the motivation for the store layout can hardly escape one's notice I would say.
But the less-obvious point, to me anyway, is the use of _decoy pricing_. Indeed, I never feel I can figure out whether the price of some IKEA product is high or not.
> The Billy bookcase — a product so beloved that one is sold every 5 seconds
You know what they say, a sucker is born every second... or 5 seconds. Those infernal pieces of rickety cardboard! People should be liable for bringing guests into homes with Billy bookcases.
> one-way path
Actually, more like two paths, because (at least in the stores I've seen) you can get to the "market hall", the latter half of your visit, without going through the showrooms.
Thank you, captain obvious... the motivation for the store layout can hardly escape one's notice I would say.
But the less-obvious point, to me anyway, is the use of _decoy pricing_. Indeed, I never feel I can figure out whether the price of some IKEA product is high or not.
> The Billy bookcase — a product so beloved that one is sold every 5 seconds
You know what they say, a sucker is born every second... or 5 seconds. Those infernal pieces of rickety cardboard! People should be liable for bringing guests into homes with Billy bookcases.
> one-way path
Actually, more like two paths, because (at least in the stores I've seen) you can get to the "market hall", the latter half of your visit, without going through the showrooms.
https://the-scp.foundation/object/scp-3008