Why shoppers find it hard to escape from Ikea stores

LONDON - If you’ve ever lost yourself in an Ikea store, you were probably not alone. The home furnishing chains confusing layouts are a psychological weapon to make shoppers part with their cash, says an expert.

The theory is that while following a zig-zag trail between displays of minimalist Swedish furniture, a disorientated Ikea customer feels compelled to pick up a few extra impulse purchases.

According to Alan Penn, director of the Virtual Reality Centre at the University College London, Ikea’s strategy is similar to that of out-of-town retail parks - keep customers inside for as long as they can, the Daily Mail reports.

“In Ikea’s case, you have to follow a set path past what is effectively their catalogue in physical form, with furniture placed in different settings which is meant to show you how adaptable it is,” he said.

“By the time you get to the warehouse where you can actually buy the stool or whatever’s caught your eye, you’re so impressed by how cheap it is that you end up getting it,” he said.

While its stores have short-cuts to meet fire regulations, shoppers find the exits hard to spot as they are navigating their way through displays of flat-pack furniture, he added.

“Also, you’re directed through their marketplace area where a staggering amount of purchases are impulse buys, things like lightbulbs or a cheap casserole that you weren’t planning on getting.

“Here the trick is that because the lay-out is so confusing you know you won’t be able to go back and get it later, so you pop it in your trolley as you go past,” said Penn.

Alongside its reputation for good, cheap design, Ikea’s distinctive labyrinth has been phenomenally successful with 283 stores in 26 countries and profits of 2.3 billion pounds last year.