Ikea Field Trip Case Study Assignment PDF

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Field trip to Ikea where I took photos, analyzed the store's marketing advertisements, took note of what Ikea did right and wrong, and compared store to Ikea's brand motto....

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Elyse Bertermann Retailing 001 19 September 2021 Ikea Case Study and Field Trip Part 1: Ikea’s Why, How, and What? Why? Ikea’s is why is best described in their mission statement. “To create a better everyday life for the many people', this is the IKEA vision. Our mission as a business is 'to offer a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them”. How? Ikea found alternative materials and by ethical fair practices, found a way to make furniture economical and practical. Ingvar Kamp, creator of Ikea, also outsourced certain designers to allow to get a lower price on items without sacrificing quality. Like reaching out to a t-shirt factory to make sheets instead of a sheet factory. What? Ikea designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture, kitchen appliances and home accessories, among other goods and home services.

Part 2: Questions #1, #2, #4, #5, and #6 1. The IKEA case study provides us with a radical example of a business organization which was founded on the need to serve customers, employees, and the community. What do you see as the main points of difference between IKEA and a more conventional business organization? Set your findings out in a table Ikea is a lifestyle brand. Ikea sells furniture in sets Sells appliances, Ikea

Walmart

consumer goods, and furniture

that allow for bedrooms and living room furniture to be cohesive

Sells consumer goods, consumer products and services, department stores, ecommerce, electronics, and supermarket

Walmart sells Walmart furniture and outsources other brands which can lead to differently designed furniture for the entire house

Ikea is based on simplicity and clean and modern lines that allow your house to be both timeless and stylish without breaking the bank. Walmart is more focused on low priced items and selling a lot without attention to consumers and how the furniture got to be a low price.

2. What do you understand by the concept of ‘democratic design’? What do you see as being the most important ingredient of effective democratic design? I understand the concept of ‘democratic design’ as listening to consumers and designing furniture to benefit most consumers. I think this concept is revolutionary in trying to understand and help consumers gain the most from a single store as possible. I see quality as being the most important ingredient of effective democratic design. Ikea prides themselves as being a lower cost furniture store based on smart economic and design moves but, with lower cost furniture also comes lower quality. Instead, Ikea has a promise to coincide low cost with high quality. This helps the cycle of continuously buying low-cost furniture to move slower, and therefore save more money long term, or at least, I think that is what Ikea hopes to accomplish. 3.  #4. IKEA claims to have created an anti-brand. To what extent do you think that this is true? Can you cite other examples of anti-brand? I think Ikea has accurately built an anti-brand. I think this coincides with democratic design that has

the intentions for a larger community rather than just a smaller, more specific lifestyle or preferences. I think Ikea not only offers a variety of furniture with different designs and colors, but also offers different price points and opportunities to buy a nicer furniture set or save money and buy simpler options. I think the best example of antibranding is apple. Their products have served for the larger purpose of the world rather than creating specially designed products for certain groups of advanced technical individuals. Their brand has reached all over the world and the ways people use their products range from the simplest use, calls and texts, to the more complex uses like creation of music and movies. 4.  #5. What can other business organizations learn from the IKEA story? I think it is important to keep in mind how much Ikea has prided themselves on the treatment of employees and all the works that work and are in the production process for Ikea. They have not sacrificed mistreatment or poor payment of employees for their lowcost items and have outsmarted the system for the better treatment of their employees which is very redeemable and remarkable in the discounted world of today. 5.  #6. Organizational cultures often develop as a result of their early history. To what extent would you say that the IKEA culture is a result of its history and development. Ikea’s culture is very much a result of its history and development. I think Ikea went into the furniture business at the perfect time in the market and had the perfect questions that had no answers. I think Ikea has the perfect example of how you can grow and move within Ikea, from starting out in your childhood with Ikea furniture to transitioning into young adult furniture to starting your own family all within a budget and design choice. Part 3- Is IKEA's retail business model well positioned for the future? Do you believe they're business model is suited to thrive in the future? or are they at risk of going bankrupt like Sears and JC Pennys? 1. I think Ikea’s retail business model is well positioned for the future. With a huge wave of minimalism and the design choices constantly and consistently changing every few years, I think Ikea’s clean, simple designs pair well with an everchanging aesthetics for years to come. Their stores are designed similarly across the world which makes for shopping wherever you move to be simple. The store layout is always beautifully designed making buying one thing in the store, extremely difficult and almost unheard of. 2. I think they’re business model is destined to withstand the future. The complaints I have heard of Ikea are simple design flaws that I have seen Ikea both address and fix. They have a good warranty system on their furniture and their warehouse allows for quick trips and independent buyers to have a quick and easy purchasing path. 3. I do not think they are at risk like Sears and JC Penny’s because Ikea has not branched out too far past their core. The branching out kitchen appliances and kitchen accessories all make sense and moderately priced which allows for buyers to understand what they’re buying without the disappointment of overpaying for a pricier item.

Part 4: Share your photos. Include a caption for each explaining why you took the image.

I took this photo because upon first walking into Ikea, I was already being introduced on ‘how to sleep better’. This beautifully designed display drew my eyes right in onto the floating pillows and made me wonder, ‘Do I need new pillows? Am I getting bad sleep because of my comforter?’.

I thought this display the planet. By just my personal use, something from Ikea seen a display in a green movement.

showed me how much Ikea cares for incorporating a greater purpose than made me feel better about buying versus elsewhere because I have never furniture store to tell me about their

This is me in front of a newer exhibit and collab in Ikea. Ikea is introducing new technology-based home sound systems, partnered with Sonos, and is entering into a new crowd for users. Of course, the design is simple and rather

undetectable, but it has a promising

message.

This is a cool addition is Ikea stores that has made a huge impact on the shopping

I feel like experience

here. The café and restaurant gather around the world attention for their ‘Swedish meatballs’ and offer the perfect ending to a full day of shopping. This sign, located halfway through the showroom, grabs your attention and makes you question, ‘Am I hungry’ and if so, ‘what kind of food would a furniture store offer’ if it is your first time.

This sign, located at the end of the showroom, offers a quick and simple understanding of what Ikea offers you when purchasing. From the price promise to the opportunity of member exclusives, and the comfort of knowing you get a free hot drink. Ikea makes sure their rules are clear yet, with a comfortable, family-esque presence. They make sure you understand their policies after purchasing yet, sending you with a fully belly and hydrated....