The Beauty of IKEA Offline Store
Much More than Your Average Furniture Stores
A few weeks ago, I visited IKEA for the second time. Both of my visits were just for window shopping. But now that I’m learning UX and also a bit about designs, I can understand and appreciate the design. The design is really cool. So here are some things that I find really cool.
BTW, my phone died at that moment, so sorry if the pictures are a little bit off. The pictures you see here will be taken from Google :p
1. The Shopping Flow
Riding a car, my friend and I went to IKEA. From the parking lot in the basement, we entered the building and we took the escalator. I was greeted with really clean, neat, and tidy layout.
Sure, there are a lot of things to display, but it’s very well organized. The quantity of the furniture doesn’t scare the shit out of you. I can say that I’m visiting a well-decorated house, not a furniture store.
Just a few steps to the other side of the room and you will see the cafe. As expected, the cafe is also very clean. At first, I thought, “Why would they put their cafe first, side to side with the showroom?”
I guess I understood this in a hindsight. IKEA is really, really big. They’re giving options for customers to choose. Fill your belly first, or start your adventure right away.
IKEA is really, really big. In case you’re wondering, here’s the map of the entire building.
And here’s what will be your shopping flow journey.
The beauty is in the layout. Once again, IKEA is really, really big. You can call it a maze, a very well-organized maze. But, in the maze, they also create shortcuts, an option to those who pay attention and to frequent customers.
2. Pretty Little Reminders
IKEA provides a subtle and very useful way for customers to take notes. In every room and in the middle of your journey, you can constantly find a stand. In the stand, you will find a stack of pencils (literally), papers, also IKEA maps.
Still hesitant to buy the furniture? We present to you, a pencil and a paper. Take a note and think about it later.
You want to go somewhere else first and are afraid you can’t go back? Afraid not. We present to you, the map. Now you can wander of safely.
Along the way of your whole journey, you can also find arrows and route boards to guide your way. Combined with the map, you can easily trace back where you left off.
Why the arrows though? Like I told you earlier, IKEA is a maze. You won’t walk in straight route. You will go around the whole building.
IKEA also deserve a bonus point for having an attractive emergency door. The door is glowing with a dim light of green.
3. Everybody Loves Visual
You don’t have any idea at how to decor your home? In the showroom, you can see a lot of pretty cool example. Living rooms, bed rooms, kitchen, you name it.
In Indonesia, small houses of 55m2 and 60m2 are in. IKEA even has the full example of houses with both sizes. By giving the customers visual about a very cool minimalist design, they are now more willing to spend.
IKEA also give the estimation on how much the per room would cost. I think this is a brave and a good idea. The furniture on display are on the medium range. For people who are tight on money, the price estimation somehow give them a sense of control, “I could get a room like this even cheaper. Just have to substitute X with Y, etc. etc.”
Another sense of control is given by giving a catalogue of IKEA products nearby. With this, user can easily compare items and have the best price suitable for them.
Even if people are not willing to spend their money at IKEA, they would always come back for inspiration. It’s a very cool touch point. No wonder from 27 areas, showrooms owns 10 of ‘em.
4. DIY
Think you can do better than IKEA? Or just curios how your design will turn out? Along your routes to find the cashier, you will a computer on a standing desk. The computer is pre-loaded with IKEA’s Planner. A system that will let you see IKEA catalogues and design your own dream room.
If you are familiar with the game The*Sims, congratulations, now you are playing it in real life.
IKEA also provides guide on how to do it yourself. What’s interesting is they provide it in a comical way. But, if you are too lazy to do this or are afraid things might go wrong, you can just IKEA to build it for you with a reasonable fee.
5. Cheap with Utility
Usually sales items are just put together in a very big container and they are not organised. People could check on them and leave it again, most likely they will just put it away with no/little consideration making the display a very big mess. But not with IKEA.
Almost at every corner, more probably being displayed leaning on the wall with its own setting, you can see IKEA items that are on sales. The sales banner is printed in red and yellow. Colours that somehow whet your appetite to splurge on things. Well, who can blame IKEA when the discounts are huge, and the items themselves are at good quality and have good utility.
6. Take It Easy
After the cashier, you will find a food market and bistro. A suitable place for those who just had their adventure in IKEA.
While eating, you might as well check what you just purchased. If you find some flaws in the product you can find the exchanges and returns section near the bistro and food market.
Those are the things I find really interesting. Although they might not show it, I believe that IKEA customers are really satisfied.
If you’ve never been to IKEA, go check it out ;)
