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Essay on Ikea Case Study

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IKEA was founded in Sweden in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad. IKEA is a home furnishings retailer unlike any other. It was founded on the basis of low cost and it offers modern and stylish furniture for all types of people at affordable prices. IKEA’s unique way of shopping, store layout, and do-it-yourself approach continues to help maintain their popularity. 1)Given the SWOT analysis presented in the case, what are IKEA’s key competitive advantages? What strategic focus should the company take as it looks to further expand into the U.S. market? Given the SWOT analysis presented in the case, IKEA definitely has some key competitive advantages. All of the strengths mentioned in the case are very beneficial but the strongest I feel are the …show more content…

The philosophy states “ Our vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people. Our business idea is to offer a wide range of well-designed, functional, home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible can afford them.” IKEA needs to create products following this motto but have these products molded to the tastes and styles of the U.S. population. The prices must still be low but IKEA must force the message that even though the price is low that does not mean the quality of the product is poor. This message will be key for expansion in the U.S. to be a success. IKEA must maintain their shopping experience as that is a strong competitive advantage, and tweak their philosophy so it fits the American lifestyle. If they do this then they will have success in expansion. 2) What factor is the biggest reason for IKEA’s growth and popularity: value or image? What can IKEA do to sustain growth after it loses some cache? Value and image are equally important for being the biggest reasons for IKEA’s growth and popularity. Value is important because for the majority of people this is their main criteria. The value the people receive from IKEA are portrayed through the cost, quality, and style of the product. These three terms if done correctly will continually help IKEA’s growth and popularity. The image of IKEA is what helps IKEA stick out amongst its competitors. The image is one of a

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