B2 – Upper Intermediate
IKEA is the world’s largest furniture retailer with a unique business model. They have designed a minimalist flat-pack furniture and customers have to assemble it. One of the secrets of IKEA’s success has been identified as “The IKEA Effect”. It simply states that when you help build something, you are more attached to it.
Watch the video to learn more and be able to answer the questions that follow.
Discussion Questions:
- According to the video, what is The IKEA Effect? What do you think of it?
- Do you agree that people tend to love an item more when they have put effort into creating it? Explain.
- Is flat-packing an effective retail strategy? Why or why not?
- How do you feel about IKEA? Share some of your shopping experiences.
- What things have you built on your own and are attached to?
6 replies on “The Economics of IKEA ”
1 – What is The IKEA Effect? What do you think of it?
Refers to the tendency for people to place a higher value on products or objects that they have assembled or built themselves
I think people feel a sense of pride and ownership over objects they have created, which leads them to value those objects more highly.
2 – Do you agree that people tend to love an item more when they have put effort into creating it? Explain.
Yes, I agree.
People do tend to love an item more when they have put effort into creating it.
3 – Is flat-packing an effective retail strategy? Why or why not?
In my opinion, flat-packing is a really effective strategy to optimize storage, logistic and costumer facilities.
4 – How do you feel about IKEA? Share some of your shopping experiences.
I like it! I always visit it to buy basic furniture, decoration and useful things. I think IKEA is really cheap in this kind of products.
5 – What things have you built on your own and are attached to?
I have no special attachment to these things, I have assembled a closet, decorative pictures, among others.
Welcome to the Phoneenglish blog! We appreciate you sharing your thoughts on this topic.
See how you can improve the following sentences a little better:
Enjoy your writing practice. Until your next entry!
The Ikea Effect means that as a customer you are attached to products that you build.
I think that the most interesting part is the price-quality relation. Ikea achieve that their customers build their own products because is simply worth it.
I don´t think that people tend to love an item more when they have put effort into assemble it, but I do think that people are more conscious about the value for that product and try to keep the product so they doesn´t have to assemble it again.
Flat-packing is a practical aspect and is definitely an effective strategy, but only if you maintain quality the same. If you have to lose quality for flat-packing then will be not effective.
I am truly kind of in love with Ikea. They have solutions for all your problems, even when you don’t know the problem.
They remove your old furniture, they assemble the new furniture if you like, you can return the product even 2 years after your purchase and they take it as a payment.
I love my divan from Ikea, even do I´m not attached to things in general.
Good work with your responses to this lesson’s discussion questions.
Here is how you can improve this sentence a bit:
Keep working on your overall writing skills. Cheers!
1. According to the video, what is The IKEA Effect? What do you think of it?
The IKEA Effects means that people value more things if have been involved in making them. When you put effort into building something, you appreciate more the result.
2. Do you agree that people tend to love an item more when they have put effort into creating it? Explain.
Yes, I totally agree because I think that you recognize that this item has consumed part of your time, and you value your time because you don´t like to waste it, and you feel that this item is your creation.
3. Is flat-packing an effective retail strategy? Why or why not?
Yes I believe that flat-packing is a big advantage for logistics and especially for transport, because it allows to optimizes the space required for an item.
4. How do you feel about IKEA? Share some of your shopping experiences.
Sometimes I felt a bit overwhelmed, that happened to me when I went to IKEA only to look for an particular item that I had in mind. But other times I thougt that it was amazing, it was one day that I spent the whole afternoon planning there how my new house was going to be.
5. What things have you built on your own and are attached to?
I built some of my house’s furniture. I’m not very attached to anything, but I’m particularly fond of my bedside table, because I was my first creation as furniture maker.
Good work with your answers for this lesson’s discussion questions.
See some minor improvements you can make in the following:
Keep writing!