Angelina Zhao

Flocks of people crowd into IKEA on Friday night due after exciting new sale on all entrees was announced.

IKEA recently announced an exciting new weekly deal: 50% all entrees on Fridays exclusively (event lasting until August 31, 2024). While this promotion seems like an enticing deal to most people, it is also an excellent marketing tactic to garner people’s attention and attract them to visit their local locations. Amidst all the excitement and wonder, a question is raised: what is so appealing about IKEA beyond its great promotions? 

While IKEA may have popularized the now-infamous Swedish meatballs and furniture, its rise to popularity is still a bit of a mystery. How did a furniture company manage to garner such a large fan base? Pre-pandemic, Balenciaga came out with a copy-cat leather version of IKEA’s iconic blue nylon tote bag. Then, in 2020, their blue bucket hat, with the signature bright, bold, and yellow tag, blew up and became a popular trend of its own. Its marketing was certainly taken well as many people of all ages bought into this trend. 

Additionally, IKEA has developed its own personal and iconic flair that cannot be replicated by another company. It is able to balance a childlike magical feeling along with the classy vibe of modern interior design. 

“I love IKEA because of how big the space is within the store. There’s so much to explore while you shop,” Judy Lu (12) said.

As children visit IKEA with their parents, they are often pleased with a short visit to IKEA’s kid playground, the Playpen.

However, as adolescents starts to grow out of the phase of needing a babysitter while their mom shops, they realize that IKEA itself is like a playpen of different aesthetics and furniture. 

A common pattern of growing up is fantasizing about the future house or apartment one will live in, and being able to imagine the theme and furnishing they desire now builds huge motivation for students to set a goal. 

“I think IKEA’s style is very iconic,” Mariam Senno (12) said. “I see a lot of videos online of people owning IKEA furniture or storage containers and they’re both aesthetic while being functional. I even have a saved list of furnishings that I might need for college.”

But what about IKEA’s design is so appealing? The foundation of IKEA was built up from its humble beginnings in Sweden. Ingvar Kamprad founded IKEA at the early age of 17 and had a dream to improve the quality of living for everyone. Just five years later, he had started selling furniture with the intention of keeping things affordable, sustainable, and functional. 

Scandinavian furniture is characterized by clean lines and geometric shapes, typically promoting simplicity and minimalism with functionality. IKEA, with its Swedish background, incorporates these values into their various room designs, all the while bringing a homey feeling to each individual space. They’ve mastered a balance between simplicity without feeling like a robot futuristic space; IKEA is able to breathe life into each design, creating a human element.

“To me, IKEA is my favorite furnishing franchise,” Anmary Bautista (12) said. “I’ve gone many times to just gain bedroom [design] inspiration. They have a good handle on this kind of thing.”