Ever walked into the mall or a store needing just one thing and then walked out with 5 other things? You’re not alone, and this YouTuber who walked out of furniture giant IKEA in Bengaluru with 78 things more than he needed, will prove it right. With a bill crossing ₹75,000, the social media user pointed out 3 strategies IKEA uses to motivate impulse buying.
Youtuber Points Out IKEA’S 3 Techniques To Encourage Buying More
Yesterday I went to IKEA Bengaluru and spent over Rs. 80,000!🤯
I just wanted 5 items but came out with 78!🤡
Here are 3 tricks IKEA uses to make you spend more.📈
💡1. The Gruen Effect:
The layout of IKEA’s experience stores is no less than a maze.
Even if you want just one… pic.twitter.com/mn5sIkWRI6
— Ishan Sharma (@Ishansharma7390) July 5, 2023
A YouTuber and Twitter user by the name Ishan Sharma has received mixed feedback for his now-viral tweet. Sharma detailed his experience of how he walked out of IKEA Bangalore with more things than he intended to buy. But also explained his theory of how IKEA contributes to the “impulse buy’ culture.
Ishan posted a photo of his bill which shows his purchase of ₹80,000 while inside the store.
Sharma highlighted three techniques used by IKEA to boost customer spending, in a tweet. The first technique is called the Gruen Effect. It involves the store layout resembling a maze, making customers explore the entire inventory, even if they only need one item.
Secondly, he believes that the Swedish giant uses the Decoy effect. He experienced The Decoy Effect while browsing through IKEA’s frame collection. He noticed that the frames were priced as follows: a large frame for ₹900, a medium-sized one for ₹700, and a smaller option for ₹400.
Also Read: 5 Dishes To Try In IKEA India
This intentional difference in pricing influences customers to consider the ₹900 frames as the most worthwhile option in terms of value for their money.
YouTuber Trolled For His Outake On IKEA’s Strategy
No. You couldve just been more disciplined instead of finding theories that support your behavior.
I often went to costco (similar to ikea in structure ) just to try their samplers on Sundays and walked out not buying a thing. I was well fed happy and saved $. 😅— Dr. AP (@drkitp) July 5, 2023
Ishan’s tweet also highlighted the Secret Psychology of IKEA’s food section. He claims this is the company’s third technique. Even though IKEA’s primary market stance is that of a furniture retailer, it contributes a noteworthy portion of its space to dining areas and food offerings.
Despite this, the profit from the food division sums up a mere 5% of the company’s overall revenue. But, even after this, IKEA gets 30% of its customer visit specifically for their food.
But all of Sharma’s insights backfired when he was trolled for justifying his large purchase by blaming it on IKEA. The tweet received 1.6 million views so far and has been widely criticized.
Some users said that the YouTuber was shifting the blame onto the furniture giant for not taking accountability. To which, Sharma responded by saying that he was shopping for his new home. And also that he was already aware of the tricks IKEA uses but felt was interesting enough to note down.
Also Read: Take A Peek Inside Ram Charan’s ₹30 Crore Bungalow In Hyderabad’s Opulent Jubilee Hills
Do you think IKEA actually uses these tricks to trigger one’s impulse buying? Let us know in the comments.
Cover image courtesy: Canva and @Ishansharma7390/ Twitter