How IKEA is Redefining the Customer Experience
It is hard not to admire the business model of IKEA. Their branding and marketing remains appealing, selling more than 12,000 single-brand home products in each store, all while avoiding overwhelming their millions of customers who visit every year.
This is all evidence of the meticulous and brilliantly planned customer experience that IKEA has in place.
Consistency
One of the most positive aspects of the IKEA customer experience lies in consistency. When entering an IKEA store, you could be visiting any of their 424 stores around the globe. Customers never have to learn the layout of a location each time they visit a new store.
Upon entering, people are greeted by a kiosk, which can help those who know exactly what they want to purchase. Maps of the store are also clearly visible, marking where each department is located. However, it is often clear from this that there is only one route on which to enjoy the IKEA experience.
Strategic Rest Stops
Many customers discover that finding their way through IKEA is easy, with projected light arrows navigating the way through each department on the floor.
Halfway through their journey in an IKEA store, many people find themselves tired and in need of a break. It is no coincidence, therefore, that IKEA has strategically placed restaurants and rest stops for shoppers. With reasonably priced food on offer, even if IKEA fails to make much profit from its restaurants, the positive impact of food on customers is likely to pay dividends for the chain.
Showrooms and Showcases
IKEA is constantly seeking to innovate, as is evident in its latest opened store in Greenwich, London.
They are also famous for showcasing their products in a real-life scenario context within elaborate showrooms.
Scented Candles and Impulse Buys
In addition to thoughtful complementary mini pencils and paper tape measures strewn throughout their stores, IKEA have cleverly displayed hard-to-resist impulse buys and are famous for their hundreds of scented candles, which makes up part of the customer experience.
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As the sweet smell envelops them, many people end up adding more and more candles to their shopping cart, in addition to the other impulse buys that are dotted around.
