ᐅ IKEA is increasingly becoming a store selling mainly miscellaneous small items.
Created on: 19 Nov 2016 22:03
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Einzylinder
Since I have been regularly shopping at IKEA for over 20 years, I dare to say that IKEA is increasingly losing focus on its core business and gradually putting more emphasis on minor and unnecessary items.
Of course, it’s understandable that people want to buy decorative items for their homes. But I’ve noticed more and more customers in front of me at the checkout unloading lots of small individual items totaling nearly a hundred euros or more.
Furthermore, I have observed that the product lines are becoming increasingly confusing and harder to mix and match.
I can only say that my 15-year-old 2-meter (6.6 feet) Pax wardrobe, which has been moved four times, is still in great condition. The additional 3-meter (9.8 feet) unit acquired over the years now has some edge damage, hinges have needed replacing, and one Pax back panel has failed. However, the original 2-meter unit still looks like new.
It’s the same story with the Faktum kitchen. Faktum was excellent and still is.
In addition to the Faktum kitchen that is now four years old, I bought a 2.2-meter (7.2 feet) tall Metod cabinet last year for the opposite kitchen wall.
Despite heavy use and two energetic children, the Faktum kitchen still looks like new. Even the fronts remain presentable due to their robustness.
Unfortunately, Metod is not as durable. After less than a year, the cabinet fronts—comparable in style and price to the old Faktum kitchen—already show deep scratches from normal kitchen activities. The interior side panels also display significant wear marks (e.g., from pots or similar items).
Both children’s rooms have 2.5-meter (8.2 feet) Stuva wardrobes. I’m pleasantly surprised by the quality of the materials and surfaces. However, I frequently have to replace the hinges on these because after some time, due to their damping mechanisms, they no longer close properly.
Recently, I added another bookshelf to our six-year-old Liatorp combination. Let’s see what insights the new piece will bring...
Of course, it’s understandable that people want to buy decorative items for their homes. But I’ve noticed more and more customers in front of me at the checkout unloading lots of small individual items totaling nearly a hundred euros or more.
Furthermore, I have observed that the product lines are becoming increasingly confusing and harder to mix and match.
I can only say that my 15-year-old 2-meter (6.6 feet) Pax wardrobe, which has been moved four times, is still in great condition. The additional 3-meter (9.8 feet) unit acquired over the years now has some edge damage, hinges have needed replacing, and one Pax back panel has failed. However, the original 2-meter unit still looks like new.
It’s the same story with the Faktum kitchen. Faktum was excellent and still is.
In addition to the Faktum kitchen that is now four years old, I bought a 2.2-meter (7.2 feet) tall Metod cabinet last year for the opposite kitchen wall.
Despite heavy use and two energetic children, the Faktum kitchen still looks like new. Even the fronts remain presentable due to their robustness.
Unfortunately, Metod is not as durable. After less than a year, the cabinet fronts—comparable in style and price to the old Faktum kitchen—already show deep scratches from normal kitchen activities. The interior side panels also display significant wear marks (e.g., from pots or similar items).
Both children’s rooms have 2.5-meter (8.2 feet) Stuva wardrobes. I’m pleasantly surprised by the quality of the materials and surfaces. However, I frequently have to replace the hinges on these because after some time, due to their damping mechanisms, they no longer close properly.
Recently, I added another bookshelf to our six-year-old Liatorp combination. Let’s see what insights the new piece will bring...
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IKEA-Experte20 Nov 2016 12:30Don’t you have to take public transport for a long time to Lichtenberg? Here in Frankfurt, luckily, I can just go downstairs and go straight to the checkouts. Usually also the other way around: checkout – bargain corner – restaurant.
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IKEA-Experte20 Nov 2016 12:43I cannot understand a decline in quality for the Metod carcasses, but it is more noticeable with the fronts and also with Pax. It’s easy to be misled by the prices. Last year, there were significant price increases due to the ridiculous unlimited return policy, but looking over a longer period, the situation is different. A 100cm (40 inch) Pax with Nexust doors cost €279.50 in 2001 and today it costs €222.
Yes, Ikea Südkreuz is closer, but I work in Lichtenberg. 😉 Besides, my brother lives in that area, and I can borrow his car by arrangement... which unfortunately tends to encourage shopping. 😀
At Südkreuz, you can only get to the checkout directly if you go through the "shopping cart aisle." This is of course prohibited and only works at most three minutes before closing time.
At Südkreuz, you can only get to the checkout directly if you go through the "shopping cart aisle." This is of course prohibited and only works at most three minutes before closing time.
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IKEA-Experte21 Nov 2016 20:47That sounds like a good idea, especially since it’s quite a walk from Südkreuz.
For me personally, the biggest scandal is that the Galant desk series was discontinued and replaced with poor quality products. Saying it was replaced is hardly accurate. The "successor" Bekant is not comparable at all, as the panels are significantly thinner and the frames are wobbly. There are also no proper desk sizes, and they are not extendable like Galant was.
The only advantage is the price, which is slightly lower. I don’t understand why Ikea is cutting corners here, as there are plenty of other places to find cheap furniture. But something like Galant, which wasn’t cheap but was significantly more affordable than designer office furniture, is unfortunately hard to find elsewhere.
It’s a shame Ikea doesn’t have both a high-end and a budget line or something similar.
The decline in quality can also be seen in many other areas. For example, the wooden frames and bathroom shelves used to be made of hardwood but are now made of bamboo (or bamboo look-alike?) and unfortunately look very cheap... I don’t know the exact prices, but it feels like they are lower.
Best regards
Ben
The only advantage is the price, which is slightly lower. I don’t understand why Ikea is cutting corners here, as there are plenty of other places to find cheap furniture. But something like Galant, which wasn’t cheap but was significantly more affordable than designer office furniture, is unfortunately hard to find elsewhere.
It’s a shame Ikea doesn’t have both a high-end and a budget line or something similar.
The decline in quality can also be seen in many other areas. For example, the wooden frames and bathroom shelves used to be made of hardwood but are now made of bamboo (or bamboo look-alike?) and unfortunately look very cheap... I don’t know the exact prices, but it feels like they are lower.
Best regards
Ben
I once watched a documentary that claimed Ikea generates more revenue from all the small items (internally called "satellite products") than from furniture. It’s not surprising that one entire floor is dedicated solely to furniture displays, while another floor of the same size is filled with small household items.
You are fundamentally right in your criticism: the selection of system furniture has decreased, and Ikea prefers to use its shelf space for additional small furniture items in the self-service warehouse rather than offering greater flexibility with products like PAX, Besta, Metod, etc.
Additional cabinet widths would be particularly desirable for PAX, and for Metod at least a 30cm (12 inches) cabinet body, even if only with an 80x30cm (31.5x12 inches) front, just for shelves. Besta should once again offer the high-quality full-extension drawers from Hettich, like the old Inreda versions. They should also bring back the various heights for cabinet bodies and fronts for Besta, as listed in the 2010 catalog buying guide.
The problem with system furniture is that adding a new cabinet body with a new front size requires reserving 10 self-service warehouse spots to offer it in all front colors.
However, Ikea has realized they generate more daily revenue per meter of shelf space by offering many more small standalone furniture pieces than by broadening the range of system furniture. It makes sense that a chair in a trendy color sells more often than a 30x80cm (12x31.5 inches) front from the Veddinge series in GRAY. I am also convinced that Metod requires less shelf space than Faktum did (which included 50cm (20 inches) sinks, roll-front cabinets, 30cm (12 inches) cabinets, and drawers ranging from 30 to 60cm (12 to 24 inches) in 10cm (4 inches) increments, plus 80cm (31.5 inches) units, etc.). But Metod still offers very good flexibility; even Faktum had inflexible compromises (like a 50cm (20 inches) front on a 45cm (18 inches) dishwasher).
Anyone planning with Metod will just have to rework their design and find a workaround. The same goes for Besta or PAX. Still, it is frustrating not to be able to customize the furniture as individually as would actually be possible. I think Ikea doesn’t lose much sales overall, but only a few detail-oriented customers end up buying from a much more expensive and flexible system kitchen provider because of this.
Ikea operates a big data system and can test in one country whether sales increase if they reduce system furniture and replace it with small furniture items, or even replace furniture altogether with satellite products. If this works, they roll it out in all countries in the next catalog year.
You are fundamentally right in your criticism: the selection of system furniture has decreased, and Ikea prefers to use its shelf space for additional small furniture items in the self-service warehouse rather than offering greater flexibility with products like PAX, Besta, Metod, etc.
Additional cabinet widths would be particularly desirable for PAX, and for Metod at least a 30cm (12 inches) cabinet body, even if only with an 80x30cm (31.5x12 inches) front, just for shelves. Besta should once again offer the high-quality full-extension drawers from Hettich, like the old Inreda versions. They should also bring back the various heights for cabinet bodies and fronts for Besta, as listed in the 2010 catalog buying guide.
The problem with system furniture is that adding a new cabinet body with a new front size requires reserving 10 self-service warehouse spots to offer it in all front colors.
However, Ikea has realized they generate more daily revenue per meter of shelf space by offering many more small standalone furniture pieces than by broadening the range of system furniture. It makes sense that a chair in a trendy color sells more often than a 30x80cm (12x31.5 inches) front from the Veddinge series in GRAY. I am also convinced that Metod requires less shelf space than Faktum did (which included 50cm (20 inches) sinks, roll-front cabinets, 30cm (12 inches) cabinets, and drawers ranging from 30 to 60cm (12 to 24 inches) in 10cm (4 inches) increments, plus 80cm (31.5 inches) units, etc.). But Metod still offers very good flexibility; even Faktum had inflexible compromises (like a 50cm (20 inches) front on a 45cm (18 inches) dishwasher).
Anyone planning with Metod will just have to rework their design and find a workaround. The same goes for Besta or PAX. Still, it is frustrating not to be able to customize the furniture as individually as would actually be possible. I think Ikea doesn’t lose much sales overall, but only a few detail-oriented customers end up buying from a much more expensive and flexible system kitchen provider because of this.
Ikea operates a big data system and can test in one country whether sales increase if they reduce system furniture and replace it with small furniture items, or even replace furniture altogether with satellite products. If this works, they roll it out in all countries in the next catalog year.
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