The Challenge
IKEA relies on customers having the ability to drive to suburban locations - a luxury fewer urban dwellers now have. So, to stay relevant, IKEA had to imagine ways to reach a new and growing car-less demographic while retaining the “spirit” of their iconic retail experience.
The Unlock
By distilling existing global research on the IKEA experience and conducting a contextual analysis of urban living, we created 'IKEA Qualities' and a 'Home Furnishing Missions' framework, which combined set the brief for new city-centre stores. We then refined store designs in “film-set” style environments, testing them with urban dwellers less familiar with IKEA's traditional concept.
The Impact
Our work has directly informed the creation of a range of new “customer meeting point” stores in city centres across the world, adapting the classic IKEA experience to a radically different scale and with a host of new (inc. digital) services.
