Dutch Ikea world's first to test brand new concept

A global first for the Netherlands: the Ikea store in Groningen is the first where the chain totally redesigns its lay-out and arranges items by price. The store also aims at selling ‘full experiences’, rather than single pieces of furniture.

Inspiration

A regular Ikea store is designed following the same rules: furniture upstairs, accessories downstairs. The Dutch trial store has radically redesigned the customer journey: it focuses on complete rooms (for example a living room) and then shows how it can look in its entirety. This way, the Swedish chain hopes to inspire its customers… and sell the total package, store manager Stefan Kroes says. He also says the test is being closely monitored from all over the world.

The redesign was developed following advice from both staff and customers with an Ikea Family loyalty card, and the featured rooms are built according to their ideas and living standards. One such example is a living room that was specifically designed to accommodate students.

Other aspects were not lost on the chain as well, for example the income of the average customer. “Groningen has the lowest average income in the Netherlands. We have taken this into account when placing our products. For example: we have ordered all the kitchens next to each other, in a row with increasing price tags. This allows people to easily find the best possible kitchen in their budget”, Kroes concludes.