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>My biggest issue is that, like so many markets, there is a "missing middle" created by this downward price pressure. I would wager that this is a proxy for th

>My biggest issue is that, like so many markets, there is a "missing middle" created by this downward price pressure. I would wager that this is a proxy for the housing market. It's correlated with renting (majority) v/s buying (minority). And renters don't want the middle. That's pretty much how I view everything I buy. It's ephemeral. >I think one reason Ikea is so popular is that they ride the upper end of the cheap segment. Also, Ikea gets the mechanical designs right. I have been quite impressed with all ikea furniture that has folding contraptions. Their nyhamn futon used to be quite a steal at the old price of ~$200. The finnala sofa bed is also well made. And ikea tends to use removable fabric covers, which is also great. So ikea gets a lot of design right. The only bummer is their 1.5x price inflation since covid.

zote 3y ago
>I would wager that this is a proxy for the housing market. It's correlated with renting (majority) v/s buying (minority). And renters don't want the middle. That's pretty much how I view everything I buy. It's ephemeral. Interesting I've never thought of it that way, anyways here's a great podcast episode from 99 Percent Invisible on the "missing middle" in terms of housing. https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/the-missing-middle/ https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/the-missing-middle/
runamok 3y ago
Per https://ipropertymanagement.com/research/renters-vs-homeowners-statistics https://ipropertymanagement.com/research/renters-vs-homeowne... ~2/3rds of households own vs. ~1/3rd rent. Not intuitive to me tbh either.
- bubblethink 3y ago
  I guess we would have to look at the slice of the population that is active as far as furniture purchases and churn go. Presumably, owners don't shop for furniture that much once it's done. I have no data though.
jwestbury 3y ago
I generally agree with this. My wife and I recently (last year) decided to move to the UK from the US. We had a $10k Stickley sofa, a $7k custom-ordered rug, a lovely leather recliner the previous owners of the house left for us (they were going full van-life), Steelcase office chairs, etc. We're now renting in London, and our furniture is almost exclusively Ikea, plus one mid-range sofa from John Lewis (£2000 or so). We view our furniture as mostly transient. All our expensive furniture is in storage in the US now, and will only come back out when we move home into a house we own and plan to stay in again.

zote 3y ago

>I would wager that this is a proxy for the housing market. It's correlated with renting (majority) v/s buying (minority). And renters don't want the middle. That's pretty much how I view everything I buy. It's ephemeral. Interesting I've never thought of it that way, anyways here's a great podcast episode from 99 Percent Invisible on the "missing middle" in terms of housing. https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/the-missing-middle/ https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/the-missing-middle/

runamok 3y ago

Per https://ipropertymanagement.com/research/renters-vs-homeowners-statistics https://ipropertymanagement.com/research/renters-vs-homeowne... ~2/3rds of households own vs. ~1/3rd rent. Not intuitive to me tbh either.

bubblethink 3y ago
I guess we would have to look at the slice of the population that is active as far as furniture purchases and churn go. Presumably, owners don't shop for furniture that much once it's done. I have no data though.

jwestbury 3y ago

I generally agree with this. My wife and I recently (last year) decided to move to the UK from the US. We had a $10k Stickley sofa, a $7k custom-ordered rug, a lovely leather recliner the previous owners of the house left for us (they were going full van-life), Steelcase office chairs, etc. We're now renting in London, and our furniture is almost exclusively Ikea, plus one mid-range sofa from John Lewis (£2000 or so). We view our furniture as mostly transient. All our expensive furniture is in storage in the US now, and will only come back out when we move home into a house we own and plan to stay in again.