The Challenges Faced By Ikea

This paper aims to demonstrate a detailed description of the elements of ‘IKEA’ company based on its famous name in the furniture industry.

IKEA is the world’s largest furniture store that offers well-designed, functional home furnishing products at low prices. The store offers home furnishings to meet the needs of everyone. The company vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people. Ikea is able to back their vision with their products and prices.

IKEA is a multinational group founded by Ingvar Kamprad in 1943. A production oriented firm in the retail industry, IKEA designs and sells a range of functional and durable, self-assembled ‘flat-pack’ furniture, appliances and home décor at low prices (Rodionova, Z. 2017). IKEA originated in Sweden and has 370 stores in 47 countries, mainly in Europe, Asia, North America and Australia (IKEA 2014).

IKEA is a multinational group of companies that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture (such as beds, chairs and desks), appliances, small motor vehicles and home accessories. As of January 2008, it is the world's largest furniture retailer. The company is known for its modern architectural designs for various types of appliances and furniture, and its interior design work is often associated with an eco-friendly simplicity.

By operating the business in Thailand (foreign market), IKEA adopt the strategy called “Think Global, Act Local” in the sense that IKEA maintains, applies and upholds their core values and cultures in their practices, while learning to adapt and understand the Thai culture and the Thai market in terms of needs, desires and wants of Thai people in general in order to survive and succeed.

Ikea was successful in entering the furniture retail market in Sweden because it capitalized on good timing and original ideas. At the time of Ikeas initial phases, furniture prices in Sweden rose 41% faster than other household goods between 1935 and 1946. Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of Ikea Saw this as a great opportunity to offer quality furniture at a much lower price than other retailers, that the majority of people can actually afford. Ikea was also able to overcome adversity through creativity in business processes. When initially traditional retailers fought against Ikea’s ideas and banned them from selling at the Stockholm Trade Fair, the took orders or got names of customers in order to sell to them after the event. On another occasion, they overcame trouble with the retail cartel by establishing manufacturing sources in Poland instead of Sweden. This actually resulted in lower costs for Ikea and therefore allowed them to sell products at even lower prices than before. They also differentiated themselves from other companies not only through price but also through store design and location. Instead of locating in downtown hubs, Ikea set up its stores in areas with a lot of land to provide ample parking space which went hand in hand with their concept of cash-and-carry retailing. Furthermore, within the stores established many basic practices, such as wide

IKEA is the largest furniture retailer around the world. The current leadership position of the company provides considerable advantages in terms of the economies of scale and at the same time creating an entry barrier for new competitors. It is ready to achieve the target of EUR 50 billion annual sales by 2020.

The debate about standardization and adaptation for international markets has continuously attracted more attention from multinational companies for several years. The case of IKEA has however tried to help me in understanding the argument involving these two marketing strategies as applied in the international markets.

Ikea, originating from Sweden was started out by Ingvar Kamprad by first selling daily used items and home accessories in the 1940s, over the years it has now evolved to being an established home furnishing company that “designs and retails its own ready-to-assemble furniture, appliances and home accessories”.

IKEA is privately owned international home product retailer that sells furniture accessories and kitchen item in their retail stores around the world. The company which took the initiative furniture at affordable and cheap prices, is now the world’s largest furniture retailer.

Based in Denmark, IKEA International A/S is one of the world 's top retailers of furniture, home furnishings, and housewares. The company designs its own items, and sells them in the more than 140 IKEA stores that are spread throughout approximately 30 different countries worldwide. The company also peddles its merchandise through mail-order, distributing its thick catalogs once a year in the areas surrounding its store locations. IKEA is characterized by its efforts to offer high-quality items at low prices. To save money for itself and its customers, the company buys items in bulk, ships and stores items unassembled using flat packaging, and has customers assemble many items on their own at home. The company is owned by

IKEA is the world’s largest furniture retailer of ‘knock down’ furniture with 300 stores in more than 35 countries. It was founded by Ingvar Kamprad of southern Sweden whose main innovative idea was ‘to offer home furnishing products of good function and design at prices much lower than competitors by using simple cost-cutting solutions that did not affect quality of products so that as many people as possible will be able to afford them. ( www.ikea.com). He used every opportunity to reduce costs without compromising on ideas and quality.

IKEA is a globally known home outfitting retailer. It has developed quickly since it was established in 1943. Today it is the world 's biggest furniture retailer, perceived for its Scandinavian style. The greater part of IKEA 's furniture is level pack, prepared to be gathered by the shopper. This permits a lessening in expenses and bundling. IKEA conveys a scope of 9,500 items, including home furniture and embellishments. This wide range is accessible in all IKEA stores and clients can arrange a great part of the range online through IKEA 's site.

First, IKEA has found “niche” to serve. The fact that they are producing “Scandinavian style” products makes them unique. Their idea of offering a very broad range of products, with limited style variations, the bold colors and the typical Scandinavian names, has created a very strong brand image and also a high recognition value of its products. Also, their slogan “Design with meaning” distuingishes them from their competitors. IKEA offers

In contemporary business environment which is highly effected by globalisation and urbanisation, it is interesting to see how IKEA which has been going through successful changes in the past and dominated furniture industry for decades based on its low prices and customer oriented services, to take action after realising the importance of e-commerce and the changing lifestyle in modern society. Thus, this essay is going to discuss from what kind of change and why it has been conducted in the past, its lasting impacts on the ways of change in current business practices, and the analysis of the circumstance for the changes.