I’m a big fan of IKEA. I love the Swedishness of it all, the order, the witty labeling (the product names are exceptionally clever if you know Swedish, trust me). IKEA in Guangzhou, however, is unlike any other IKEA I have experienced.
According to a friend, IKEA has developed a brilliant marketing strategy for GZ, namely making IKEA a place to sit down in a comfortable chair or to enjoy a nap in a bed in the middle of the afternoon. Almost every piece of furniture is being used by a customer. People are talking on phones, enjoying snacks, spending an afternoon in sleek Scandinavian furniture comfort. IKEA is not quite affordable for the average Chinese person yet. However, if Chinese customers feel at home with IKEA products, the hope is that when incomes allow, IKEA will be the home furnishing shop of choice. It explains the escalator in the middle of the store that doesn’t allow for carts. Imagine my surprise on my first shopping foray to IKEA this week when, with my 6 bags of goods, I had to unload my cart and carry everything up the escalator. I was baffled. It was only after I was informed that most customers go to IKEA not to shop, but to enjoy the furniture, that I understood why few customers seemed bothered by schlepping their newly acquired goods up a level. In the future, I’ll limit myself to two bags per trip.
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