IKEA.com - Worldwide home furnishing specialists. edit this microsummary

edit IKEA.com - The Furnishings Superstore

Since its humble beginnings in Sweden in 1958(May), Ikea has risen to become a common household name around the world, with stores in over 50 countries. Applying the Costco high volume model to home furnishings, IKEA focuses on "providing functional, well-designed furniture at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them."

edit IKEA.com - The Showroom Experience

If you go to any IKEA.com store, the first thing you'll notice is the scale of the operation. A typical IKEA building spans multiple city blocks (probably why you never see one downtown), includes multiple-tiered parking structures, and offers a variety of shopping climates to suit just about every need you could have (daycare and dining included). Customers wander through a maze of pre-furnished rooms (yellow brick road included) to get at realistic taste for the variety of fashions and furnishings IKEA.com has to offer. You're encouraged to get a feel for the environments created by different configurations in each setting. IKEA provides a scorecard of sorts that you can use to keep track of which items or styles struck your fancy.

edit IKEA.com - Pick Up the Pieces

When you're finished previewing, you move into the 'factory' portion of the store to physically pick out the items you saw before. Much of IKEA.com's furniture comes in a spatially economic format (i.e., in pieces), so keep in mind you'll need to put it together on your own. This is economic for IKEA on multiple levels: not only do they save on construction costs, but they also make more space on the floor for other items. This efficiency is responsible, at least in part, for the lower prices.

edit Shopping Online with IKEA.com

The philosophy of the physical IKEA location is reflected on their website, IKEA.com. Once you select your location, IKEA.com provides a variety of helpful tools to get you shopping for what you want. If online shopping isn't your thing, you can check the availability of each product in the stores near you so you don't have to purchase online (and pay/wait for shipping). Oddly, most of the items displayed online are only available for in-store purchase, so you'll have to remember what you like and get it in person.

• What’s Your Style

Just as at one of their physical locations, IKEA.com offers vignettes of decorated rooms to get you started browsing. Once you develop a sense for what styles appeal to you, IKEA advises you on which products best suit your needs.

• Ask the Specialists

In case you have any questions, click on 'Just Ask Anna' and you can talk online to the IKEA help center on whatever problems you might encounter. This is a highly praised feature of IKEA.com.

• Planner Tool

The downloadable planner tool will virtually design your home the way you want to based on preferences you provide it.

If online browsing isn't your thing, you can sign up to receive a mailing of the IKEA catalog (shown above on the right).

edit IKEA.com Franchising

Inter IKEA Systems B.V. owns the IKEA concept and is committed to the expansion of IKEA's core market. Franchising has IKEA to maintain its dominance in the world furnishings market by vastly increasing the accessibility of the brand. If you're interested in reading more about IKEA's franchise history, the site provides a chronology of store openings worldwide.

edit Languages

English

edit Address

Olof Palmestraat 1

Delft NL-2616 LN NETHERLANDS

edit Contact

Inter IKEA Systems B.V.

+1 313 390 3476, Fax: +1 313 390 1697

edit Related Domains

edit External Links

• Alexa: Ikea.com
• Charles Palma Blog: Ikea.com

Featured by AboutUs.org on: 12 Dec. 2006

"Fashionable furnishings at affordable prices."