9 ms·

IKEA’s Crimes Against Cartography

163 points by edward 4y ago

duxup 4y ago
I know Ikea’s game, I don’t go there for a quick visit. I go there expecting to take a while, wander, shop. It’s ikea, not a gas station.
- wildzzz 4y ago
  Most of our trips to Ikea involve picking up flatpak products we've already looked at online. The nice thing about Ikea is that once you've already bought stuff from there, you kind of know what to expect when it comes to quality and construction. They offer the full dimensions of their stuff online so you can get a feel for the size of something large. There's little need to go check out a table in the showroom before you pickup the box from the warehouse. We simply cut through the checkout lines, grab a cart at the back of the warehouse, grab our stuff, and are gone without having to navigate the maze. You get suckered into walking the store when you just want to grab a couple small things like from the kitchen section and now feel compelled to just walk the rest of the way out. One thing I do really like about them is their spare parts desk. You can get just about any piece of hardware for free. I had a bracket for my bedframe break that was several years old. They still sell the bedframe but I was unsure if they would help. They gave me a new bracket that was actually better designed to prevent how it broke for me. Same thing happened with a desk leg mounting plate. They had did not thread the hole for the leg to screw on so it was entirely unusable. They simply just gave me a new plate. No questions asked, no warranty periods, just make the customer happy so they come back and buy more stuff. A lot of our stuff comes from Ikea so I'm happy with my purchases. As long as you aren't too rough on it or try to disassemble it, it will last.
  - ofrzeta 4y ago
    > Most of our trips to Ikea involve picking up flatpak products we've already looked at online. Then I take a note of the shelf numbers and walk right through the exit (!) to the shelves (at the end of the supposed shopping stroll). Takes me about 15 minutes usually.
    - bearmode 4y ago
      Do you guys not have click & collect services? I can order online, then just walk in through a designated door, give my order number, and someone comes out to me with a trolley loaded with all of my stuff. Last time I went to Ikea was two days ago - I was there for all of two minutes
      - ofrzeta 4y ago
        You are right, click&collect probably makes more sense. I still have to get used to the modern ways :)
      - latchkey 4y ago
        It is amazing how many people in this thread don't realize that is the optimal way to "shop" at Ikea.
  - andylynch 4y ago
    They will also send spare parts in the post if you ask online. It’s quite nice to receive a mailer from Northern Europe with replacements for your lost gazebo bolts free of charge, although my kid would say the Danish equivalent for broken Lego bricks is more exciting!
  - duxup 4y ago
    >You get suckered into walking the store I don't really feel that way. At least the Ikea I visit it's pretty obvious where to go if you just want to get X.
tpetricek 4y ago
The article uses TfL signage from Kings Cross as an example of clear and crisp direction. This is a bit funny, because Kings Cross signate (specifically) sometimes directs you to take a longer path (hoping to avoid overcrowding in peak times). In some cases, you're better off going in the very opposite direction.
- Freak_NL 4y ago
  That's often fine though. If you are at an unfamiliar station with lots of exits and paths, the least congested, go-with-the-flow path is usually the least bother. Once you get to know a place you can vary based on personal experience and willingness to brave sections where you'll be going against the flow of pedestrians.
1MachineElf 4y ago
You could say the same about navigating a Home Depot or Lowes.
- koolba 4y ago
  Pro-tip for shopping at Home Depot: order whatever you need with in store pickup. You’ll generally get it same day and leave it to them to navigate the labyrinth to find that size Q widget. Most importantly, when the online stock status does not match the actual shelves, they pay the wasted time and report that back to you.
  - smeej 4y ago
    I think sometime in 2020 this became just a "tip for anywhere that has a physical store."
  - mikkergp 4y ago
    YMMV. I’ve had nothing but trouble with both pickup and delivery from both Home Depot and Lowes, the last time I ordered from Lowe’s they told me “oh, you can’t believe the website when they say that we have it and it will be there tomorrow, you have to call in to make sure.” Home Depot took four hours to pick my order after I showed up because I got an email saying it was ready, I ended up having to follow them around to make sure they did it.
  - InitialLastName 4y ago
    In my experience with Home Depot order pickup: a) when they don't actually have stock of something they just silently refund it and don't give it to you. When you're buying a bunch of small things like fixtures it can be easy not to notice that an important one is missing, which is even more infuriating when there's a clear and acceptable substitute to the missing SKU b) You lose the opportunity to screen for clearly returned or damaged goods, which at least my local branch is rife with. My alternative tip is to use the website (filtered to your store), where they tell you exactly what aisle and bay the product you're looking for is in.
  - rootw0rm 4y ago
Reason077 4y ago
> “To further disorient shoppers … there are no windows through which to sense direction or time.” This is not universally true! My local IKEA in Greenwich, London (built relatively recently) does actually have large panoramic windows on parts of the upper, showroom level. I think it adds a more modern and cheerful vibe to the place compared to other IKEAs. I’ve also noticed they’ve gotten a bit better in recent years at signposting the “secret” shortcuts between sections, which makes things easier when you really do want to grab some specific items and get out quickly!
- duxup 4y ago
  Same with the store in Minnesota. Has big windows.
- Biganon 4y ago
  Same in Allaman, Switzerland. I wonder if it's sometimes required by law. Anyway, seeing the wheat fields and the villages from inside the store has always been part of the experience for me. IKEA is a bit like Disneyland. You know where it is, you know it's just a place, but it feels weirdly magical and nostalgic. Even the smell is always exactly the same.
  - saiya-jin 4y ago
    Well I guess if there is some nice scenery worth looking onto, they put windows there. But if given Ikea shop is in some industrial district full of other warehouses, they won't degrade viewing experience by ugly views from windows onto grey metallic walls of nearby buildings. I wouldn't expect this to be in law, other big shops sometimes don't have a lot of windows neither.
- blamazon 4y ago
  There are also windows in Red Hook, New York City IKEA. It's nice at sunset.
- dmitriid 4y ago
  The complaint about windows is also such a weird one. I struggle to remember a single big shop with windows (except windows on the entrance side). Big shops are decorated warehouses.
null_object 4y ago
One of the things I hate about IKEA is all the virtue-signalling they're always doing recently - including a lot of bullshit about not encouraging over-consumption and all the usual 'planet-care' stuff - and yet excellent articles like this lay bare the lie. I've worked on some IKEA advertising campaigns myself in the past, and have had colleagues and friends who work there, so I've heard enough 'back-story' to have other reasons to not like the company [0] but when caught in the seemingly endless labyrinth, I've behaved in exactly the way described in the article. Particularly annoying is how much extra stuff I buy just to avoid needing to come back some indeterminate time in the future. [0] one example was their ruthless negotiating when encouraging developing countries to open production-factories in poor areas, so that local or national government would contribute large sums to the setup costs in return for an IKEA contract, which they would then just use until the contract expired and move on to the next desperate place.
dirtyid 4y ago
>but they may also be required to ensure speedy evacuation in case of fire or emergency I'd like to see one of those airplane evacuation tests conducted at IKEA to see how well these arrows work, or whether the IKEA promenande is a fire hazard.
- cube00 4y ago
  Given how narrow the shortcuts are between the walls I have visions of those airplane tests where everyone gets plugged up in the galley and nobody can get out.
  - kayodelycaon 4y ago
    The store I go to has very obvious fire exits on all the outside walls. The ones on the upper level have windows so you can see they go outside. You’re always a section or two away from a set of doors. And they have the required red exit signs everywhere. I was actually there when the alarm went off. The nearest evacuation route actually went into the back offices. Didn’t have any trouble finding my way out.
asojfdowgh 4y ago
setting showrooms aside as they feel useless, you start off in the impulse buy areas, and leave through the bleak self-service areas. This doesn't jibe with the "ikea intentionally makes you tired to make you impulse buy" narrative
- rippercushions 4y ago
  In the IKEAs I frequent, there is a separate section of bargain-buy product bins between the self-service racks and the check-out registers, perfectly positioned to trigger impulse buys as you wait in line.
- creatonez 4y ago
  The author explains how this strategy still ends up working: > Furthermore, because the layout is so confusing and oriented for one way flow, shoppers know they won’t easily be able to go back and get an item later. So they pop it into their large trolley and continue shopping.
askvictor 4y ago
Relevent SCP: https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-3008 https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-3008
- Laremere 4y ago
  Relevant game based on that entry: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1593010/The_Store_is_Closed/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/1593010/The_Store_is_Clos...
- robotguy 4y ago
  Also Horrorstör: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13129925-horrorst-r https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13129925-horrorst-r
iambateman 4y ago
“IKEA uses war psychology – confusion, camouflage, and attrition – to wear down and coerce shoppers, starting with the store layout.” Evidently the author does not like IKEA…which is perfectly fine. They are free to go to Bed Bath & Beyond. But to offer a counter perspective…I like IKEA. Sometimes we travel 90 minutes just to go hang out there and shop. It’s kinda fun and interesting and weird in a way that makes it different from ordinary shopping. I’m not saying that they’re the world’s most virtuous company or should be exempt from criticism, just that it’s odd to accuse them of using war psychology to beat their customers into submission when a _lot_ of people really enjoy the experience.
- MonkeyMalarky 4y ago
  10 years ago I would've agreed with you but now it feels different, also bland and cheap. Like what set it apart from their competitors has eroded.
  - mc32 4y ago
    I don't love IKEA, but I feel the opposite. Whereas before I thought of them as "the disposable-furniture store," now I'm less dismissive of some of their options as they have gone ever so slightly "middlescale" and offer some middling furniture.
    - bombcar 4y ago
      And by my word I though ikea was bottom of the line but it turns out wayfair and Amazon can sell you much worse.
      - ghaff 4y ago
        Or Walmart etc. Maybe 10 years ago, I bought an Ikea dresser for my bedroom and spent too much of a Saturday assembling it. At the time, I had some buyer's regret for not just having splurged on some expensive hardwood piece. But know what? It looks nice enough and does its job just fine. And I have a couple modernish Ikea chairs in another room which look quite nice and are very comfortable. I'm sure Ikea has bad stuff and better stuff and I only go every 2-3 years but don't really have complaints.
bdcravens 4y ago
Over the past 3 months I've had to make several trips to Ikea to usually buy one or 2 items (a shelf I forgot for our entertainment center, a bracket for the hanging shelf in my office, etc). I've gotten pretty good at walking in, taking the correct shortcut, and getting out of there in 10-15 minutes.
- ncmncm 4y ago
  The secret is to park by the exit, and go backwards. The small, useful stuff is closer to the exit, and the flatpaks are there.
  - bdcravens 4y ago
    Exactly. In mine, I do have to cut through the checkout to get there. Also make sure you look up what you need on your phone ahead of time, so you know exactly where you're going.
kayodelycaon 4y ago
They are sneaky with those hidden paths. I often go to IKEA to hang out in the upstairs cafe and work on my laptop. Getting back out is really easy. There is a very obvious (but unalarmed!) fire staircase near the cafe. At the bottom of the stairs, there are obviously-marked and alarmed doors to the outside. But there is a set of unmarked non-alarmed doors that open to the ground floor near the main entrance. I asked an employee and they said it was no issue as long as I didn’t use the outside doors.
- Tagbert 4y ago
  In our store the main entrance lets you go into the showrooms, jump to the middle where the smaller items like kitchen goods are, or go to the cafe. In each “room” there are large maps showing the overall network, where you are and the shortcuts between rooms. It’s pretty easy to navigate. Of course you can also enter at the registers, walk through the warehouse and get to the end of the shops that way too.
m463 4y ago
The restaurant is a trick too. You can immediately enter ikea and go to the restaurant to eat reasonably priced food. However, you can't go there to eat and then just leave. The route from the entrance to the restaurant is a trap. The escalator is one-way, and the elevator has no button to get back down. The only way out of the restaurant is down the stairs to the long shopping maze.
- sammy2255 4y ago
  You can go straight to the checkout from the bottom of the food stairs, secret shortcut
  - m463 4y ago
    in my store, the stairs next to the restaurant led to the beginning of the downstairs maze.
- yibberish 4y ago
  the food is subsidized by the odds that you'll buy something on your way out?
- bombcar 4y ago
  Find the elevator. They’ll have one for ADA and they go up and down.
- stephen_g 4y ago
  Weird. The one near me has some stairs as well as the escalators (and I think a lift nearby too), so you can just go straight up to the restaurant and then straight out if you want... The stairs also go down to the market hall area so you don't have to go through the labyrinth upstairs if you don't want to.
- bentcorner 4y ago
  > and the elevator has no button to get back down. At my ikea that's true, but if you get on at the 2nd floor someone will inevitably be on the bottom floor to summon the elevator.
wolpoli 4y ago
I find that IKEA is very good at camouflaging the various shortcuts. Here is a good trick: the fire department requires that stores post the floor plan near the entrance. I studied the floor plan in my local IKEA and I was able to find multiple new pathways that I never noticed before, saving me a lot of time.
- Tagbert 4y ago
  Ours has them clearly displayed on the large maps in each room. It makes it pretty easy to skip sections if you are so inclined.
  - wolpoli 4y ago
    When they rebuild my local IKEA a few years ago, they replaced the large maps with the line map as described in the article. So it's interesting to know they kept the large maps in some IKEAs.
kmeisthax 4y ago
Meanwhile I just walk back through the checklanes straight to the warehouse to get whatever cheap furniture I need. Nobody's ever bothered to yell at me for doing this.
- tobyjsullivan 4y ago
  There's also usually a shortcut from the front door to the warehouse (possibly by way of the "marketplace"). It should not take more than 60 seconds to get there (+30 seconds looking at a map).
  - bobthepanda 4y ago
    The article goes into detail about how they are changing some of the maps into abstract diagrams, similar to a transit map (which is, I suppose, why the article is on a blog primarily about transport nerdism)
- vl 4y ago
  But how do you know location of the items your are looking for?
  - Tempest1981 4y ago
    The website has that info (aisle & bin), iirc. Note: Some items require multiple boxes, from different bins. And sometimes only 2 out of 3 are in stock, even though though the website says there are 3-5 of each in stock.
    - johnwalkr 4y ago
      They have kiosks to search for items too.
- itronitron 4y ago
  Yeah, they have digital kiosks in the warehouse that people can use to search up where to find the items :)
ncmncm 4y ago
[flagged]
- Tagbert 4y ago
  Not really relevant to the current company
stephen_g 4y ago
Does this "wearing down the shopper" really work on a significant portion of people? I've basically always gone through the labyrinth for fun, and then just pick up the one or two items I'd noted down from the website from the warehouse area... It's also funny that they use TfL signage as the "gold standard", because tube stations do actually take you on longer than necessary paths (for better circulation at busy times I think, to try and avoid streams of people going opposite directions to clash, so it takes people going one way through a longer circuit to avoid it). If you know where to go you can actually take shortcuts at many stations and get out quicker.
turtlebits 4y ago
At my local IKEA, they've made it so hostile that you there is no path to go back out the front door. Right when you enter, there is a one way escalator going up. They do provide an elevator for accessibility, but there is no call button on the second floor to go back down.
kumarvvr 4y ago
They are, afterall, a business trying to sell their products. For a furniture store (my experience is from stores in India), I find the experience compelling. Part of the reason their stores are like that, is they prioritize the look and feel of the "space", rather than the look and feel of the "product", which, to me is great marketing for a furniture company. When I go to an IKEA and walk around their showcase rooms, I imagine different furniture items in my own home, visualize their location and use and then make a decision. Its actually a great experience. Also, in India, most of my friends and colleagues go to an Ikea with an expectation that they will be spending their whole day there, probably lunch there and go to a movie at the end, perhaps. So the whole shopping experience is very very relaxed and if you have kids, a whole riot. Its awesome.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- TedDoesntTalk 4y ago
  You enjoy brick-and-mortar shopping, and that’s fine. Not everyone does. I want to spend as little time as possible with my limited time in this world buying house goods. And I, too, have kids. We just don’t spend time together shopping at IKEA.
  - 4mitkumar 4y ago
    Unnecessary (probably unintentional as well) snark detected :)
  - inferiorhuman 4y ago
    So don't. In the US at least you can do curbside pickup for most things the store stocks.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
Waterluvian 4y ago
I’m curious what examples people might have of what the most customer friendly store layout is. What store do you think, “this is a completely no-nonsense customer friendly layout?”
- LeoPanthera 4y ago
  Apple Stores. You can see absolutely everything from the moment you walk in. (With the possible exception of multi-story stores, but maybe there isn't much you can do about that.) A good contrast is Best Buy stores. I hate them so much. It's impossible to find anything.
  - bagels 4y ago
    They just miss the mark on purchasing. So much waiting next to the phones.
  - sccxy 4y ago
    Are you really comparing Apple store and Best Buy? 100 vs 10000 product stores? Louis Vuitton Boutique vs H&M store
  - goosedragons 4y ago
    I guess if you're literally just talking about layout but checking out there is so annoying. Easily my least favorite store because I have to go find a free employee to check out.
quickthrower2 4y ago
Ikea lost sales with me because of the "double find" requirement that you find what you are looking for when browsing in the display area, make a note of what it is, and then you have to find it again in the warehouse. I just gave up trying to find some items. In addition they don't put all the same things in one place in either place. They get sprawled. The idea is probably to make you buy something you didn't think of when you came in. But armed with a list, it had the opposite effect on me, especially when kmart exists :-)
- savoytruffle 4y ago
  What do you mean KMart exists?
  - mastax 4y ago
    Australian KMart, most likely.
  - quickthrower2 4y ago
    KMart is a good competitor to Ikea. At least in Australia.
    - astrange 4y ago
      This is confusing because Australian KMart and Target have nothing to do with American KMart and Target. Australian KMart is American Target, while American KMart traditionally looks like a bomb went off inside the store and nobody has bothered to clean it up yet.
      - GoOnThenDoTell 4y ago
        Australian kmart is more walmart
      - actionfromafar 4y ago
        And in the center there is the gun section.
dreamcompiler 4y ago
I despise shopping at Ikea. I call it the world's largest escape room.
- TedDoesntTalk 4y ago
  I know you’re downvoted and in the minority. But I’ve come to support you. I agree. And I’ll pay extra at another store to avoid IKEA.
black_13 4y ago
Cadwhisker 4y ago
My personal best time is 4 minutes, 30 seconds (give or take). I find what I want online (I'm not counting this towards the total time). I go to the store and walk in the exit, through the checkouts to the storage hangar, use the computer to look up which aisle my Knoppflogg (or whatever) is stored, pick it out and go.
- kqr 4y ago
  My record for one of the largest IKEA stores in the world, walking briskly only in the intended direction, is 7 some minutes. If you know what you're looking for and you're used to spotting the shortcuts you don't have to spend long. Or rather, if you find yourself spending a long time in IKEA, confused by the layout, it's because that's how you've chosen to navigate the store. With preparation you don't have to.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- wartijn_ 4y ago
  For a new personal best you can even skip going to the in-store computer. The IKEA website can tell you where your item is, if you select the store you’re going to.
uwagar 4y ago
wonder why the author spells shown as shewn.
- robin_reala 4y ago
  It’s a legit, if slightly archaic, British spelling variant: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shew https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shew
  - andylynch 4y ago
    Yes, to the point that it’s almost only used tongue in cheek, like a black umbrella paired with a bowler hat but more subtle.
thih9 4y ago
> despite the judicious use of the shortcuts, the store’s footprint still had to be traversed almost twice, once on each storey. Anecdotally, you can skip a storey too. Not just by going through the closest shortcut but by not entering it at all. At least that’s what I did during my last visit.
enord 4y ago
Having just furnished a house we bought last fall, Ive been to a few furniture stores ltely. I’ll tell you, _a_ plan, even a psychologically nefaruous plan, beats _no_ plan any day of the week.
IvanaDora 4y ago
I found all the shortcuts in our IKEA but I don’t use them all the time. Sometimes I enjoy their war psychology tactics
microtonal 4y ago
Our local IKEA has made the shortcuts even less obvious. You can skip a whole floor by taking two shortcuts. However, after taking the first shortcut, you actually have to (counterintuitively) walk back one department to get to the second shortcut that brings you to the end. Mind games.
shp0ngle 4y ago
One Weird Trick that IKEA does is also paying almost no corporate taxes, as all IKEA is owned by several non-profits across Europe. I think Lidl does the same trick too.
nxpnsv 4y ago
It is like the author never went to any other stores...
nullcipher 4y ago
> IKEA is the McDonald’s of housewares That's pretty far out. McDonald's is not fit for any home, heck even any human. IKEA sells good stuff . They are functional and look OK. It's disgraceful to compare it to McDonald's food.
- TedDoesntTalk 4y ago
  IKEA product quality is abysmal. Like the food quality of McDonald’s.
  - nullcipher 4y ago
    I am surprised by this statement. I have used IKEA stuff for over 20 years, hardly anything is abysmal. Which region/country are you talking about? When you buy a mattress/bed, do you buy the lowest end? IKEA has good quality stuff if you are willing to pay a bit more (but not outrageous prices).
    - mackatap 4y ago
      If you want solid wood desks and furniture, then ikea is terrible quality. If you want a desk that a 10 year old can pick up and move on his own, ikea is great quality.
      - TedDoesntTalk 4y ago
        Their wood products are made from some composite wood chips, MDF, with glue, or something (I’m sure someone will reply with the correct product names). Not only does it exude VOCs for months or years to come (again like McDonald’s, affecting your health unless you use indoor air filters), but the wood products often crack off at the edges. Their plastic products are made some quality of plastic that is too thin. They don’t break in my experience, but I question Why they are so thin to begin with.
        bobthepanda 4y ago
geenew 4y ago
I'll take this opportunity to plug a good comedy-horror book: Horrorstör, by Grady Hendrix[1]. It's set in an ikea-like store, and much of the intro is a comedic jab at the ikea store layout tricks. [1] http://www.gradyhendrix.com/ http://www.gradyhendrix.com/
gw99 4y ago
It’s fine. You can take shortcuts in Ikea if you need to. Apple Watch compass helps :). My favourite is entering via the exit and just picking up what you wanted anyway. Arrive when it opens, leave 10 minutes later.
Faelian2 4y ago
It's surprising to me that IKEA only has 464 stores (https://www.statista.com/statistics/241821/number-of-stores-of-the-ikea-group-worldwide-by-region/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/241821/number-of-stores-...). For a company that have a revenue of 42 billion, I was expecting that there would be more stores. I guess the world isn't that big.
- bagels 4y ago
  100 million per store seems pretty good
thomasfl 4y ago
IKEA uses dark patterns of warehouse design. In the book "The truth about IKEA", a former IKEA executive describes how they purposely creates mazes in their warehouses.
bagels 4y ago
How I shop at Ikea: 1) immediately go to the exit and get a soft serve, in it's the only thing that makes the place tolerable 2) near the registers are the computers to locate the flat pack stuff, use those to shop 3) get the item and check out 4) never go to the top floor showroom
otikik 4y ago
When I go to an IKEA, I skip the labyrinth and stroll through the warehouse. It’s a different experience, as things are sorted out in seemingly random ways, but I am more in control and it’s less crowded. If my wife wants to enter the rats maze I treat it as a video game where the objective is finding and using all the camouflaged shortcuts and fire exits. The kitchen section is lava.
mekkkkkk 4y ago
The later GTA games include an extended universe of corporate satire, and one of the subjects is IKEA. The fictitious KRAPEA has one of the most hilarious in-game websites in GTA:IV [1]. The store layout is described as a "maze of post-modern doom". I don't disagree. [1] https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/gtawiki/images/1/1b/Krapea.com-GTA4-mainpage.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20100407155024 https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/gtawiki/images/1/1b/Krapea...
ajb 4y ago
Oddly, the online experience is just the opposite. Looking at sofas, the IKEA website is the easiest to deal with. It has filtering that covers all the criteria I was needed to check. So the process was, filter out all the items I definitely don't want, sort by price, skip ones that don't quite fit (their size filtering is inexact, which is a limitation) then go and view the one of two or three of interest. By contrast, the process many other sites want you to follow is: Select one of a meaningless list of made up names, presumably do they can apply price discrimination to you . Select by colour. The least rational choice is the only one you are allowed to make using an efficient mechanism Check the details of a long list of sofas until you find one that will actually fit your room Fail, and go back and choose another random name. (Ended up getting one from nabru rather than IKEA, whose website is not too bad either. They don't make it that clear but they actually only have 2 lines and everything else is an option, so you can get the exact sofa to fit your space if you ignore the silly branding section and use the design tool)
rjmunro 4y ago
Part of the psychology of IKEA is that as you get experience and know the tricks and the shortcuts, you feel you are a better IKEA shopper than the normal people, and that just makes you visit more and buy more.
latchkey 4y ago
Shop once to get a feeling for what you want to purchase. Order online for pickup at the store. Drive up to a parking spot right in front. Click the link in the order confirmation email. Note your parking spot number. Wait 5 minutes. Done.
hrbf 4y ago
The part about the grocery stores reminded me of why I love shopping at Aldi. Not only are the products great and affordable, the layout almost never changes in one store. Get in, get the goods, get out. They optimize for overall throughput, not cart volume per customer.

163 points by edward 4y ago

I know Ikea’s game, I don’t go there for a quick visit. I go there expecting to take a while, wander, shop. It’s ikea, not a gas station.

wildzzz 4y ago
Most of our trips to Ikea involve picking up flatpak products we've already looked at online. The nice thing about Ikea is that once you've already bought stuff from there, you kind of know what to expect when it comes to quality and construction. They offer the full dimensions of their stuff online so you can get a feel for the size of something large. There's little need to go check out a table in the showroom before you pickup the box from the warehouse. We simply cut through the checkout lines, grab a cart at the back of the warehouse, grab our stuff, and are gone without having to navigate the maze. You get suckered into walking the store when you just want to grab a couple small things like from the kitchen section and now feel compelled to just walk the rest of the way out. One thing I do really like about them is their spare parts desk. You can get just about any piece of hardware for free. I had a bracket for my bedframe break that was several years old. They still sell the bedframe but I was unsure if they would help. They gave me a new bracket that was actually better designed to prevent how it broke for me. Same thing happened with a desk leg mounting plate. They had did not thread the hole for the leg to screw on so it was entirely unusable. They simply just gave me a new plate. No questions asked, no warranty periods, just make the customer happy so they come back and buy more stuff. A lot of our stuff comes from Ikea so I'm happy with my purchases. As long as you aren't too rough on it or try to disassemble it, it will last.
- ofrzeta 4y ago
  > Most of our trips to Ikea involve picking up flatpak products we've already looked at online. Then I take a note of the shelf numbers and walk right through the exit (!) to the shelves (at the end of the supposed shopping stroll). Takes me about 15 minutes usually.
  - bearmode 4y ago
    Do you guys not have click & collect services? I can order online, then just walk in through a designated door, give my order number, and someone comes out to me with a trolley loaded with all of my stuff. Last time I went to Ikea was two days ago - I was there for all of two minutes
    - ofrzeta 4y ago
      You are right, click&collect probably makes more sense. I still have to get used to the modern ways :)
    - latchkey 4y ago
      It is amazing how many people in this thread don't realize that is the optimal way to "shop" at Ikea.
- andylynch 4y ago
  They will also send spare parts in the post if you ask online. It’s quite nice to receive a mailer from Northern Europe with replacements for your lost gazebo bolts free of charge, although my kid would say the Danish equivalent for broken Lego bricks is more exciting!
- duxup 4y ago
  >You get suckered into walking the store I don't really feel that way. At least the Ikea I visit it's pretty obvious where to go if you just want to get X.

tpetricek 4y ago

The article uses TfL signage from Kings Cross as an example of clear and crisp direction. This is a bit funny, because Kings Cross signate (specifically) sometimes directs you to take a longer path (hoping to avoid overcrowding in peak times). In some cases, you're better off going in the very opposite direction.

Freak_NL 4y ago
That's often fine though. If you are at an unfamiliar station with lots of exits and paths, the least congested, go-with-the-flow path is usually the least bother. Once you get to know a place you can vary based on personal experience and willingness to brave sections where you'll be going against the flow of pedestrians.

1MachineElf 4y ago

You could say the same about navigating a Home Depot or Lowes.

koolba 4y ago
Pro-tip for shopping at Home Depot: order whatever you need with in store pickup. You’ll generally get it same day and leave it to them to navigate the labyrinth to find that size Q widget. Most importantly, when the online stock status does not match the actual shelves, they pay the wasted time and report that back to you.
- smeej 4y ago
  I think sometime in 2020 this became just a "tip for anywhere that has a physical store."
- mikkergp 4y ago
  YMMV. I’ve had nothing but trouble with both pickup and delivery from both Home Depot and Lowes, the last time I ordered from Lowe’s they told me “oh, you can’t believe the website when they say that we have it and it will be there tomorrow, you have to call in to make sure.” Home Depot took four hours to pick my order after I showed up because I got an email saying it was ready, I ended up having to follow them around to make sure they did it.
- InitialLastName 4y ago
  In my experience with Home Depot order pickup: a) when they don't actually have stock of something they just silently refund it and don't give it to you. When you're buying a bunch of small things like fixtures it can be easy not to notice that an important one is missing, which is even more infuriating when there's a clear and acceptable substitute to the missing SKU b) You lose the opportunity to screen for clearly returned or damaged goods, which at least my local branch is rife with. My alternative tip is to use the website (filtered to your store), where they tell you exactly what aisle and bay the product you're looking for is in.
- rootw0rm 4y ago

Reason077 4y ago

> “To further disorient shoppers … there are no windows through which to sense direction or time.” This is not universally true! My local IKEA in Greenwich, London (built relatively recently) does actually have large panoramic windows on parts of the upper, showroom level. I think it adds a more modern and cheerful vibe to the place compared to other IKEAs. I’ve also noticed they’ve gotten a bit better in recent years at signposting the “secret” shortcuts between sections, which makes things easier when you really do want to grab some specific items and get out quickly!

duxup 4y ago
Same with the store in Minnesota. Has big windows.
Biganon 4y ago
Same in Allaman, Switzerland. I wonder if it's sometimes required by law. Anyway, seeing the wheat fields and the villages from inside the store has always been part of the experience for me. IKEA is a bit like Disneyland. You know where it is, you know it's just a place, but it feels weirdly magical and nostalgic. Even the smell is always exactly the same.
- saiya-jin 4y ago
  Well I guess if there is some nice scenery worth looking onto, they put windows there. But if given Ikea shop is in some industrial district full of other warehouses, they won't degrade viewing experience by ugly views from windows onto grey metallic walls of nearby buildings. I wouldn't expect this to be in law, other big shops sometimes don't have a lot of windows neither.
blamazon 4y ago
There are also windows in Red Hook, New York City IKEA. It's nice at sunset.
dmitriid 4y ago
The complaint about windows is also such a weird one. I struggle to remember a single big shop with windows (except windows on the entrance side). Big shops are decorated warehouses.

null_object 4y ago

One of the things I hate about IKEA is all the virtue-signalling they're always doing recently - including a lot of bullshit about not encouraging over-consumption and all the usual 'planet-care' stuff - and yet excellent articles like this lay bare the lie. I've worked on some IKEA advertising campaigns myself in the past, and have had colleagues and friends who work there, so I've heard enough 'back-story' to have other reasons to not like the company [0] but when caught in the seemingly endless labyrinth, I've behaved in exactly the way described in the article. Particularly annoying is how much extra stuff I buy just to avoid needing to come back some indeterminate time in the future. [0] one example was their ruthless negotiating when encouraging developing countries to open production-factories in poor areas, so that local or national government would contribute large sums to the setup costs in return for an IKEA contract, which they would then just use until the contract expired and move on to the next desperate place.

dirtyid 4y ago

>but they may also be required to ensure speedy evacuation in case of fire or emergency I'd like to see one of those airplane evacuation tests conducted at IKEA to see how well these arrows work, or whether the IKEA promenande is a fire hazard.

cube00 4y ago
Given how narrow the shortcuts are between the walls I have visions of those airplane tests where everyone gets plugged up in the galley and nobody can get out.
- kayodelycaon 4y ago
  The store I go to has very obvious fire exits on all the outside walls. The ones on the upper level have windows so you can see they go outside. You’re always a section or two away from a set of doors. And they have the required red exit signs everywhere. I was actually there when the alarm went off. The nearest evacuation route actually went into the back offices. Didn’t have any trouble finding my way out.

asojfdowgh 4y ago

setting showrooms aside as they feel useless, you start off in the impulse buy areas, and leave through the bleak self-service areas. This doesn't jibe with the "ikea intentionally makes you tired to make you impulse buy" narrative

rippercushions 4y ago
In the IKEAs I frequent, there is a separate section of bargain-buy product bins between the self-service racks and the check-out registers, perfectly positioned to trigger impulse buys as you wait in line.
creatonez 4y ago
The author explains how this strategy still ends up working: > Furthermore, because the layout is so confusing and oriented for one way flow, shoppers know they won’t easily be able to go back and get an item later. So they pop it into their large trolley and continue shopping.

askvictor 4y ago

Relevent SCP: https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-3008 https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-3008

Laremere 4y ago
Relevant game based on that entry: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1593010/The_Store_is_Closed/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/1593010/The_Store_is_Clos...
robotguy 4y ago
Also Horrorstör: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13129925-horrorst-r https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13129925-horrorst-r

iambateman 4y ago

“IKEA uses war psychology – confusion, camouflage, and attrition – to wear down and coerce shoppers, starting with the store layout.” Evidently the author does not like IKEA…which is perfectly fine. They are free to go to Bed Bath & Beyond. But to offer a counter perspective…I like IKEA. Sometimes we travel 90 minutes just to go hang out there and shop. It’s kinda fun and interesting and weird in a way that makes it different from ordinary shopping. I’m not saying that they’re the world’s most virtuous company or should be exempt from criticism, just that it’s odd to accuse them of using war psychology to beat their customers into submission when a _lot_ of people really enjoy the experience.

MonkeyMalarky 4y ago
10 years ago I would've agreed with you but now it feels different, also bland and cheap. Like what set it apart from their competitors has eroded.
- mc32 4y ago
  I don't love IKEA, but I feel the opposite. Whereas before I thought of them as "the disposable-furniture store," now I'm less dismissive of some of their options as they have gone ever so slightly "middlescale" and offer some middling furniture.
  - bombcar 4y ago
    And by my word I though ikea was bottom of the line but it turns out wayfair and Amazon can sell you much worse.
    - ghaff 4y ago
      Or Walmart etc. Maybe 10 years ago, I bought an Ikea dresser for my bedroom and spent too much of a Saturday assembling it. At the time, I had some buyer's regret for not just having splurged on some expensive hardwood piece. But know what? It looks nice enough and does its job just fine. And I have a couple modernish Ikea chairs in another room which look quite nice and are very comfortable. I'm sure Ikea has bad stuff and better stuff and I only go every 2-3 years but don't really have complaints.

bdcravens 4y ago

Over the past 3 months I've had to make several trips to Ikea to usually buy one or 2 items (a shelf I forgot for our entertainment center, a bracket for the hanging shelf in my office, etc). I've gotten pretty good at walking in, taking the correct shortcut, and getting out of there in 10-15 minutes.

ncmncm 4y ago
The secret is to park by the exit, and go backwards. The small, useful stuff is closer to the exit, and the flatpaks are there.
- bdcravens 4y ago
  Exactly. In mine, I do have to cut through the checkout to get there. Also make sure you look up what you need on your phone ahead of time, so you know exactly where you're going.

kayodelycaon 4y ago

They are sneaky with those hidden paths. I often go to IKEA to hang out in the upstairs cafe and work on my laptop. Getting back out is really easy. There is a very obvious (but unalarmed!) fire staircase near the cafe. At the bottom of the stairs, there are obviously-marked and alarmed doors to the outside. But there is a set of unmarked non-alarmed doors that open to the ground floor near the main entrance. I asked an employee and they said it was no issue as long as I didn’t use the outside doors.

Tagbert 4y ago
In our store the main entrance lets you go into the showrooms, jump to the middle where the smaller items like kitchen goods are, or go to the cafe. In each “room” there are large maps showing the overall network, where you are and the shortcuts between rooms. It’s pretty easy to navigate. Of course you can also enter at the registers, walk through the warehouse and get to the end of the shops that way too.

m463 4y ago

The restaurant is a trick too. You can immediately enter ikea and go to the restaurant to eat reasonably priced food. However, you can't go there to eat and then just leave. The route from the entrance to the restaurant is a trap. The escalator is one-way, and the elevator has no button to get back down. The only way out of the restaurant is down the stairs to the long shopping maze.

sammy2255 4y ago
You can go straight to the checkout from the bottom of the food stairs, secret shortcut
- m463 4y ago
  in my store, the stairs next to the restaurant led to the beginning of the downstairs maze.
yibberish 4y ago
the food is subsidized by the odds that you'll buy something on your way out?
bombcar 4y ago
Find the elevator. They’ll have one for ADA and they go up and down.
stephen_g 4y ago
Weird. The one near me has some stairs as well as the escalators (and I think a lift nearby too), so you can just go straight up to the restaurant and then straight out if you want... The stairs also go down to the market hall area so you don't have to go through the labyrinth upstairs if you don't want to.
bentcorner 4y ago
> and the elevator has no button to get back down. At my ikea that's true, but if you get on at the 2nd floor someone will inevitably be on the bottom floor to summon the elevator.

wolpoli 4y ago

I find that IKEA is very good at camouflaging the various shortcuts. Here is a good trick: the fire department requires that stores post the floor plan near the entrance. I studied the floor plan in my local IKEA and I was able to find multiple new pathways that I never noticed before, saving me a lot of time.

Tagbert 4y ago
Ours has them clearly displayed on the large maps in each room. It makes it pretty easy to skip sections if you are so inclined.
- wolpoli 4y ago
  When they rebuild my local IKEA a few years ago, they replaced the large maps with the line map as described in the article. So it's interesting to know they kept the large maps in some IKEAs.

kmeisthax 4y ago

Meanwhile I just walk back through the checklanes straight to the warehouse to get whatever cheap furniture I need. Nobody's ever bothered to yell at me for doing this.

tobyjsullivan 4y ago
There's also usually a shortcut from the front door to the warehouse (possibly by way of the "marketplace"). It should not take more than 60 seconds to get there (+30 seconds looking at a map).
- bobthepanda 4y ago
  The article goes into detail about how they are changing some of the maps into abstract diagrams, similar to a transit map (which is, I suppose, why the article is on a blog primarily about transport nerdism)
vl 4y ago
But how do you know location of the items your are looking for?
- Tempest1981 4y ago
  The website has that info (aisle & bin), iirc. Note: Some items require multiple boxes, from different bins. And sometimes only 2 out of 3 are in stock, even though though the website says there are 3-5 of each in stock.
  - johnwalkr 4y ago
    They have kiosks to search for items too.
itronitron 4y ago
Yeah, they have digital kiosks in the warehouse that people can use to search up where to find the items :)

ncmncm 4y ago

[flagged]

Tagbert 4y ago
Not really relevant to the current company

stephen_g 4y ago

Does this "wearing down the shopper" really work on a significant portion of people? I've basically always gone through the labyrinth for fun, and then just pick up the one or two items I'd noted down from the website from the warehouse area... It's also funny that they use TfL signage as the "gold standard", because tube stations do actually take you on longer than necessary paths (for better circulation at busy times I think, to try and avoid streams of people going opposite directions to clash, so it takes people going one way through a longer circuit to avoid it). If you know where to go you can actually take shortcuts at many stations and get out quicker.

turtlebits 4y ago

At my local IKEA, they've made it so hostile that you there is no path to go back out the front door. Right when you enter, there is a one way escalator going up. They do provide an elevator for accessibility, but there is no call button on the second floor to go back down.

kumarvvr 4y ago

They are, afterall, a business trying to sell their products. For a furniture store (my experience is from stores in India), I find the experience compelling. Part of the reason their stores are like that, is they prioritize the look and feel of the "space", rather than the look and feel of the "product", which, to me is great marketing for a furniture company. When I go to an IKEA and walk around their showcase rooms, I imagine different furniture items in my own home, visualize their location and use and then make a decision. Its actually a great experience. Also, in India, most of my friends and colleagues go to an Ikea with an expectation that they will be spending their whole day there, probably lunch there and go to a movie at the end, perhaps. So the whole shopping experience is very very relaxed and if you have kids, a whole riot. Its awesome.

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TedDoesntTalk 4y ago
You enjoy brick-and-mortar shopping, and that’s fine. Not everyone does. I want to spend as little time as possible with my limited time in this world buying house goods. And I, too, have kids. We just don’t spend time together shopping at IKEA.
- 4mitkumar 4y ago
  Unnecessary (probably unintentional as well) snark detected :)
- inferiorhuman 4y ago
  So don't. In the US at least you can do curbside pickup for most things the store stocks.

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Waterluvian 4y ago

I’m curious what examples people might have of what the most customer friendly store layout is. What store do you think, “this is a completely no-nonsense customer friendly layout?”

LeoPanthera 4y ago
Apple Stores. You can see absolutely everything from the moment you walk in. (With the possible exception of multi-story stores, but maybe there isn't much you can do about that.) A good contrast is Best Buy stores. I hate them so much. It's impossible to find anything.
- bagels 4y ago
  They just miss the mark on purchasing. So much waiting next to the phones.
- sccxy 4y ago
  Are you really comparing Apple store and Best Buy? 100 vs 10000 product stores? Louis Vuitton Boutique vs H&M store
- goosedragons 4y ago
  I guess if you're literally just talking about layout but checking out there is so annoying. Easily my least favorite store because I have to go find a free employee to check out.

quickthrower2 4y ago

Ikea lost sales with me because of the "double find" requirement that you find what you are looking for when browsing in the display area, make a note of what it is, and then you have to find it again in the warehouse. I just gave up trying to find some items. In addition they don't put all the same things in one place in either place. They get sprawled. The idea is probably to make you buy something you didn't think of when you came in. But armed with a list, it had the opposite effect on me, especially when kmart exists :-)

savoytruffle 4y ago
What do you mean KMart exists?
- mastax 4y ago
  Australian KMart, most likely.
- quickthrower2 4y ago
  KMart is a good competitor to Ikea. At least in Australia.
  - astrange 4y ago
    This is confusing because Australian KMart and Target have nothing to do with American KMart and Target. Australian KMart is American Target, while American KMart traditionally looks like a bomb went off inside the store and nobody has bothered to clean it up yet.
    - GoOnThenDoTell 4y ago
      Australian kmart is more walmart
    - actionfromafar 4y ago
      And in the center there is the gun section.

dreamcompiler 4y ago

I despise shopping at Ikea. I call it the world's largest escape room.

TedDoesntTalk 4y ago
I know you’re downvoted and in the minority. But I’ve come to support you. I agree. And I’ll pay extra at another store to avoid IKEA.

black_13 4y ago

Cadwhisker 4y ago

My personal best time is 4 minutes, 30 seconds (give or take). I find what I want online (I'm not counting this towards the total time). I go to the store and walk in the exit, through the checkouts to the storage hangar, use the computer to look up which aisle my Knoppflogg (or whatever) is stored, pick it out and go.

kqr 4y ago
My record for one of the largest IKEA stores in the world, walking briskly only in the intended direction, is 7 some minutes. If you know what you're looking for and you're used to spotting the shortcuts you don't have to spend long. Or rather, if you find yourself spending a long time in IKEA, confused by the layout, it's because that's how you've chosen to navigate the store. With preparation you don't have to.
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wartijn_ 4y ago
For a new personal best you can even skip going to the in-store computer. The IKEA website can tell you where your item is, if you select the store you’re going to.

uwagar 4y ago

wonder why the author spells shown as shewn.

robin_reala 4y ago
It’s a legit, if slightly archaic, British spelling variant: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shew https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shew
- andylynch 4y ago
  Yes, to the point that it’s almost only used tongue in cheek, like a black umbrella paired with a bowler hat but more subtle.

thih9 4y ago

> despite the judicious use of the shortcuts, the store’s footprint still had to be traversed almost twice, once on each storey. Anecdotally, you can skip a storey too. Not just by going through the closest shortcut but by not entering it at all. At least that’s what I did during my last visit.

enord 4y ago

Having just furnished a house we bought last fall, Ive been to a few furniture stores ltely. I’ll tell you, _a_ plan, even a psychologically nefaruous plan, beats _no_ plan any day of the week.

IvanaDora 4y ago

I found all the shortcuts in our IKEA but I don’t use them all the time. Sometimes I enjoy their war psychology tactics

microtonal 4y ago

Our local IKEA has made the shortcuts even less obvious. You can skip a whole floor by taking two shortcuts. However, after taking the first shortcut, you actually have to (counterintuitively) walk back one department to get to the second shortcut that brings you to the end. Mind games.

shp0ngle 4y ago

One Weird Trick that IKEA does is also paying almost no corporate taxes, as all IKEA is owned by several non-profits across Europe. I think Lidl does the same trick too.

nxpnsv 4y ago

It is like the author never went to any other stores...

nullcipher 4y ago

> IKEA is the McDonald’s of housewares That's pretty far out. McDonald's is not fit for any home, heck even any human. IKEA sells good stuff . They are functional and look OK. It's disgraceful to compare it to McDonald's food.

TedDoesntTalk 4y ago
IKEA product quality is abysmal. Like the food quality of McDonald’s.
- nullcipher 4y ago
  I am surprised by this statement. I have used IKEA stuff for over 20 years, hardly anything is abysmal. Which region/country are you talking about? When you buy a mattress/bed, do you buy the lowest end? IKEA has good quality stuff if you are willing to pay a bit more (but not outrageous prices).
  - mackatap 4y ago
    If you want solid wood desks and furniture, then ikea is terrible quality. If you want a desk that a 10 year old can pick up and move on his own, ikea is great quality.
    - TedDoesntTalk 4y ago
      Their wood products are made from some composite wood chips, MDF, with glue, or something (I’m sure someone will reply with the correct product names). Not only does it exude VOCs for months or years to come (again like McDonald’s, affecting your health unless you use indoor air filters), but the wood products often crack off at the edges. Their plastic products are made some quality of plastic that is too thin. They don’t break in my experience, but I question Why they are so thin to begin with.
      - bobthepanda 4y ago

geenew 4y ago

I'll take this opportunity to plug a good comedy-horror book: Horrorstör, by Grady Hendrix[1]. It's set in an ikea-like store, and much of the intro is a comedic jab at the ikea store layout tricks. [1] http://www.gradyhendrix.com/ http://www.gradyhendrix.com/

gw99 4y ago

It’s fine. You can take shortcuts in Ikea if you need to. Apple Watch compass helps :). My favourite is entering via the exit and just picking up what you wanted anyway. Arrive when it opens, leave 10 minutes later.

Faelian2 4y ago

It's surprising to me that IKEA only has 464 stores (https://www.statista.com/statistics/241821/number-of-stores-of-the-ikea-group-worldwide-by-region/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/241821/number-of-stores-...). For a company that have a revenue of 42 billion, I was expecting that there would be more stores. I guess the world isn't that big.

bagels 4y ago
100 million per store seems pretty good

thomasfl 4y ago

IKEA uses dark patterns of warehouse design. In the book "The truth about IKEA", a former IKEA executive describes how they purposely creates mazes in their warehouses.

bagels 4y ago

How I shop at Ikea: 1) immediately go to the exit and get a soft serve, in it's the only thing that makes the place tolerable 2) near the registers are the computers to locate the flat pack stuff, use those to shop 3) get the item and check out 4) never go to the top floor showroom

otikik 4y ago

When I go to an IKEA, I skip the labyrinth and stroll through the warehouse. It’s a different experience, as things are sorted out in seemingly random ways, but I am more in control and it’s less crowded. If my wife wants to enter the rats maze I treat it as a video game where the objective is finding and using all the camouflaged shortcuts and fire exits. The kitchen section is lava.

mekkkkkk 4y ago

The later GTA games include an extended universe of corporate satire, and one of the subjects is IKEA. The fictitious KRAPEA has one of the most hilarious in-game websites in GTA:IV [1]. The store layout is described as a "maze of post-modern doom". I don't disagree. [1] https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/gtawiki/images/1/1b/Krapea.com-GTA4-mainpage.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20100407155024 https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/gtawiki/images/1/1b/Krapea...

ajb 4y ago

Oddly, the online experience is just the opposite. Looking at sofas, the IKEA website is the easiest to deal with. It has filtering that covers all the criteria I was needed to check. So the process was, filter out all the items I definitely don't want, sort by price, skip ones that don't quite fit (their size filtering is inexact, which is a limitation) then go and view the one of two or three of interest. By contrast, the process many other sites want you to follow is: Select one of a meaningless list of made up names, presumably do they can apply price discrimination to you . Select by colour. The least rational choice is the only one you are allowed to make using an efficient mechanism Check the details of a long list of sofas until you find one that will actually fit your room Fail, and go back and choose another random name. (Ended up getting one from nabru rather than IKEA, whose website is not too bad either. They don't make it that clear but they actually only have 2 lines and everything else is an option, so you can get the exact sofa to fit your space if you ignore the silly branding section and use the design tool)

rjmunro 4y ago

Part of the psychology of IKEA is that as you get experience and know the tricks and the shortcuts, you feel you are a better IKEA shopper than the normal people, and that just makes you visit more and buy more.

latchkey 4y ago

Shop once to get a feeling for what you want to purchase. Order online for pickup at the store. Drive up to a parking spot right in front. Click the link in the order confirmation email. Note your parking spot number. Wait 5 minutes. Done.

hrbf 4y ago

The part about the grocery stores reminded me of why I love shopping at Aldi. Not only are the products great and affordable, the layout almost never changes in one store. Get in, get the goods, get out. They optimize for overall throughput, not cart volume per customer.