The Digital Revolution in the Decoration Sector: The Rise of E-commerce and Beyond
As a young digital enthusiast, I was privileged to intern at Maisons du Monde, a well-known furniture and home decor company in 2020. My role involved Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), an essential component of digital marketing and e-commerce. I chose Maisons du Monde because I was intrigued by the fact that 30% of their sales came from e-commerce, an impressive feat for a traditionally non-digital sector like decoration. However, the journey towards understanding the digital landscape in this sector led me to closely observe one of the industry’s most prominent players: IKEA.
IKEA: The Benchmark in Digital Innovation
IKEA has consistently led the market in the decoration sector, not just offline but also in the digital world. At Maisons du Monde, we often used IKEA as a benchmark, particularly for their website, which underwent a significant redesign in 2015. IKEA’s investments in website optimization were evident in my benchmarks, particularly their strategic use of A/B testing on crucial navigation pages. But their digital initiatives go beyond just having a well-optimized website.
IKEA and Augmented Reality (AR)
In 2017, IKEA launched the IKEA Place app, a pioneering endeavour that uses AR technology to allow customers to visualize furniture in their homes before making a purchase. This disrupted the traditional way of shopping for furniture and democratized interior design, making it accessible to everyone with a smartphone.
IKEA & Machine Learning
IKEA has further delved into the digital world by embracing machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI). Their AI Lab is a testament to their commitment to reshaping the way we shop for furniture and home decor. The lab develops AI tools that offer product recommendations based on a user’s behaviour and preferences, personalizing the shopping experience for each customer.
IKEA’s VR Kitchen Experience
In addition to AR and AI, IKEA has also capitalized on the power of virtual reality. In 2016, they launched the IKEA VR Experience, a virtual reality application that allows users to explore and interact with an IKEA kitchen. This immersive experience serves as a perfect example of how technology can significantly enhance the customer shopping journey.
The Takeaway
Working on CRO at Maisons du Monde and closely studying IKEA’s digital strategy has given me invaluable insights into the rapidly evolving landscape of digital marketing in the decoration sector. It’s clear that companies need to embrace digital transformation and innovation to stay ahead in the increasingly competitive market.
The takeaway from my journey thus far is that digitalization is not just about moving sales online. It involves leveraging advanced technologies like AR, VR, and AI to enhance the customer experience and ultimately drive business growth.
As I continue my exploration of the digital world, I am eager to uncover more innovative ways businesses in traditional sectors are leveraging technology. If you’re interested in knowing more about digital transformation in the decoration sector or my experience with CRO, feel free to leave a comment.
About this article
This article has been written by a student on the Grenoble Ecole de Management’s Advanced Masters in Digital Strategy Management. As part of a content creation assignment, students are given the task of writing articles based on their digital interests and disseminating the articles online. Articles are marked but we make minimal changes to the content. Thanks for reading! James Barisic, Programme Director, MS DSM.
