IKEA is proud to find the most cost efficient manufacturers for their products to in turn sell for a lower price to their customers. By replacing quality with low prices, IKEA has to step out of the normal standard of what a traditional furnishing store offers and take part in what is called a reverse positioning marketing strategy. Examples of the things that IKEA lacks are customer contact with employees, deliveries, assembling purchases, quality of products, style and culture adjustment. Lack of American adaptation has hindered the growth of IKEA by preventing them from being as successful as they are in other countries.
IKEA describes it’s customer as a person who adapts willingly to change, has a do-it-yourself mentality and is an early adopter of new technology. This person is most likely to be young, maybe a college student or a newly married couple that is living in an apartment or buying a starter home. This person dwells in a heavily populated area where land is abundant to accommodate the large-scale store and parking facilities. The products purchased are used for an array of household furnishings such as an entire kitchen, living room, bedroom, office and other décor.
IKEA has many competitors including mass-volume furniture retailers such as Wal-Mart, Rooms to Go, and Ethan Allen1. In regards to size, all of the stores listed above out number the