Ikea is a name known to everyone, having billions of visitors worldwide. The 460 IKEA stores operating in 62 countries make a prestigious brand value of 23.4 bn USD. Each of these epic stores, with the biggest one in Pasay City, Philippines, takes plenty of time to trip through. But are these stores worth walking the miles?
Besides their affordable and innovative products, the stores are enormous, so the shoppers are provided maps at the entrance. However, they are many factors that can influence your time spent at IKEA, such as:
- Your walking pace.
- Intention to visit the store.
- Length of your shopping list.
- Familiarity with routes of the store.
Read through the whole article to find out how it will take to roam through the entire store, what can make your visits longer, and which ways to make your visit quick.
Estimated Time To Walk Through Ikea
On average, an IKEA store spreads over a land of ~300,000 square feet. You can expect this area to cover five football grounds.
Now, if you walk straight around this area, you’ll most likely cover it within 10-20 mins considering your walking speed. But we are talking about IKEA, where everything seems simple and pure except for its route.
This Scandinavian retail is infamous for having a maza-like layout where you keep finding everything novel, creative and fascinating at each turn.
If you have great control over impulses, can avoid distractions, and only grabs the desired article, you’ll make it to the checkout in ~35 minutes through the winding lanes.
Therefore, it’s been estimated that buyers typically spend 2-3 hours or longer during their visits to IKEA, regardless of the length of their shopping list. Of course, many factors play their roles in making your stay longer than you intend.
Read on to know what at IKEA could make you lose track of your time.
Reasons You Spend Longer at Ikea
Customer psychology is what any brand puts on the forefront, and IKEA stores are no exception. From the infrastructure of the store to the placement of displayed items, everything at the store carries a purpose.
Below are all the tactics this retail giant employs to turn your shopping into a definitive retail therapy.
1. The Fixed-Path Layout
IKEA stores are large, and each store has a fixed order of store sections. At all the entrances, you’re given a map and a pencil.
The first comes to the showcase room, which gives you a sense of belonging. Then, on the floor, arrows guide you through, and it feels like a designated road you must follow.
Nest comes to the market hall with everything related to home accessories; before reaching the self-serve area. This fixed-path design takes anyone longer than they need to.
Furthermore, the aisles are short, and a turn at every 50th foot piques the curiosity to discover more. This kind of design inspires obsession, and you get lost in the fantasy forgetting about the time.
2. Gruen Effect
Austrian architect Victor Gruen discovered that if you provide an overwhelming experience to the visitors, they’ll forget about their original reason for going to the shop and make more impulse purchase. The Gruen Effect seems to be working at its best at IKEA.
The design inspiration in the showcase section of the store appeals to the subconscious mind, which is the primary driver of decision-making. The mock rooms make sense of comfort, pleasure, and familiarity, and we buy them to live that experience forever.
This is another excellent reason for spending more time there.
3. Bulla bulla Merchandising
While navigating through the store, we all encounter huge bins filled with dirt-cheap items like plush toys and other miscellaneous items. Unfortunately, this gives away the idea that you are finding the most economical things at IKEA.
This bulla merchandising drives us to buy those articles because they’re cute, cool, and cheap, with our brains believing that we will not find any better deal elsewhere. Hence, we end up spending both our money and time liberally.
Ways To Navigate Ikea Store Quickly
While IKEA has all measures in place to attract customers and make them discover its unexpected and unique items, there are certainly some positive ways to keep your visit short and brief.
1. Prepare Your List
Planning always saves the time taken to execute any process. For example, if you want to save time while shopping at IKEA, go through their online store and note the things you want to buy.
A prepared list will help you quickly walk through the showcase room and get to your desired rack in less time.
2. Use Secret Shortcuts
Former IKEA employees have also confirmed that many secret doors and escape alleys are available if you’re in a hurry. However, they are less visible and often hidden behind curtains.
To make it to the checkout in no time, you’ll need to have familiarity with your store ways. Feel free to use the doors you see unless there is an ‘Only for Employees’ signboard.
3. Visit on Low Traffic Days
The crowd should be another significant factor in delaying your tour through the store. But, some days of the week, you’ll experience fellow shoppers more than usual. For example, Monday mornings are considered the quietest days at IKEA, while weekends are the busiest ones.
Final Verdict
IKEA has a labyrinth-like layout, and to make it from entry to exit, it can take anywhere from 15 minutes to many hours. The time you spend relies on your walking pace, your reason for visiting the store, and your shopping list. If you don’t want to scroll through the whole store, you can use the many shortcuts and cut your shopping time in half.
