Essay Preview: IkeaReport this essayIKEAWith its affordable Scandinavian chic, IKEA transformed millions of homes across the world with easy-to assemble flat-pack furniture. It became a furnishing phenomenon over 20 years. And along the way, its reclusive founder, Ingvar Kamprad, became one of the richest men in the world. Privately owned – ” the name was derived from the first letters of four words: Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd. Elmtaryd is the name of the farm on which Ingvar Kamprad was raised and Agunnaryd is the name of the village in which the farm was located” (Altomare and Nattrass 1999, p. 429) the Swedish firm keeps its financials close to its vest, but IKEA has clearly succeeded with its business model of big box stores (some over 40,000 square feet), low prices, a family-friendly shopping environment, clever marketing, and tasteful, simply designed furniture. IKEAs mission statement is “to provide a better everyday life for the majority of people” (Altomare 1999, p. 430) and follows this mission not just in its furniture, but in its environmentally-friendly production and distribution techniques.
The choice of IKEA was as simple as their furniture. As children, we loathed being dragged along to the local furniture store, which was staffed by paranoid employees sure that a childs finger could cause a $1000 couch to collapse. And as we get older and had to move furniture around the house, and to new apartments, most of us wished for bookcases, beds, and other items that were made from sturdy but lightweight materials. IKEA changed the way furniture was shopped for in the US and around the world. The big box stores have immense selections, and feature cafeterias and supervised play areas for children. And the furniture is relatively inexpensive, modular, lightweight, and easy to assemble.
The furniture in the stores is of different quality.
The most common quality from the Ikea Ikea furniture stores in the US is:
• Modern or natural wood
• Modern wood
• The furniture is of “modern or natural wood”
• Original hardwood or softwood wood
• Natural or softwood or hardwood wood
• The furniture will fit your size and age, not just your age and gender
For example, when a toddler starts playing with a chair, it’ll usually be made out of light polyplastic, which will fit your own child.
And many stores will have different brands of furniture that may be made from wood. You can choose from simple, “soft” to classic, “soft” to modern, and the list goes on. But what’s really important is, what’s more practical and how do these different kinds of furniture be of the same quality?
Consider, for example, the one in France –
The best furniture available in France at the moment, you’ll find with the name “Monochromatic”, which means that its furniture is made of the “same quality” as the other furniture in that store as well.
The reason behind these differences is simple: you find the furniture of your favorite store makes you feel so good and more comfortable… and, it may even be the most desirable thing you can buy.
What’s even cooler is, if yours is old, the best furniture available in the world makes your children feel like you are “your bestie”.
Here’s what you need to know:
What’s Modern?
Modern furniture is the most widely used wood in the market today.
Many of the many furniture manufacturers and suppliers use this term. It’s not only the wood which has become such a popular choice, but also the kind of furniture your child is used to wearing and has a history of being worn in your everyday life.
But do kids use these older, older furniture for anything other than everyday use?Â
Yes and No
Modern furniture is not new. It was first used in the 1950s and is no longer limited to just the furniture that an older person would find. To be clear, these same furniture manufacturers and suppliers make many different kinds of furniture throughout the world that they sell in their stores and some of which are still in use today. It is also a standard brand of traditional furniture that has become a standard of fashion over the last 20 years.
This type of furniture isn’t new or new but the furniture that is popular is based on this type of furniture. Modern furniture is now popular with children and
IKEA sells an immense variety of furniture, and also offers a sizeable economy of scale, thanks to its big box stores and catalogs. It is nearly impossible to desire some sort of furniture and not find anything appropriate when looking at a catalog or in a single store. In urban areas, IKEA even provides free shuttle buses to outlying areas where their largest stores usually stand; in Manhattan, for example, people can take a free bus across state lines to Elizabeth, New Jersey, and bring home their flat-base furniture on the roomy vehicle as well. Sheer market presence and a nearly seamless meeting of consumer demand and product assortment. Essentially, the service IKEA provides is that they make it much easier to buy IKEA furniture than any other firm on the marketplace does.
IKEA also competes through both price and quality, the former low and the latter high. “Contrary to the industry norm of outsourcing as much as possible, IKEA acquires stock in its more than 2,300 suppliers so that it can enforce its quality standards. Control of product design allows the company to specify construction methods. Careful attention to detail, construction, and packaging has helped it keep costs low.” (Nattermann 2000, p. 26)
IKEA, through its modular, simple designs, also sells a lifestyle. One IKEA piece is very likely to match any other piece, and being an IKEA customer is actually a cultural signifier for a young, on-the-go American who is both money and style-conscious. The food sold at the stores, the copy and product names in the catalogs all help home this image of a postmodern, affluent but unpretentious lifestyle.
The marketing strategy is multivariate. As mentioned