Week Seven: Retailing

Ikea is the world's largest furniture retailer. There are chain stores around Europe, North America, Australia, and Asia. Ikea brings in it's sales through both in-store retailing and nonstore retailing. Ikea's catalog and online website are it's biggest and only nonstore retailing. Ikea's catalog is free of charge for whom ever wants to order one online. 


When it comes to store placement, Ikea is very careful in choosing where to open a store. They do lots of research on the city to determine whether their store with do well with sales in that location. Ikea's ideal store locations are around collages and metropolitan areas, and areas where people move frequently.


There are only two Ikea stores in New York, one in Brooklyn and the other in Hicksville. Both are open throughout the day, usually closing around 9pm-10pm. My preference is the store in Hicksville, Long Island. I've always gone there and it's a pleasure going there again for this class. As soon as anyone walks in, there's a self standing advertisement with pencils and pads for you to write down your list of products as you walk through the store. Throughout the store, you follow a pathway that takes you through rooms. It always tempts me to go check out the rooms and it's features. I suppose that is why they designed their stores to be this way. There is staff at each department, who are friendly and willing to help. The price tags are easy to read. And from past experience, in the warehouse, the service is excellent when it comes to locating the furniture you want. It's a really nice atmosphere. And you truly get to test out the products. There is no one yelling at you to get off the sofa.