How IKEA tricks your brain and makes you buy more

Фото: Depositphotos

Have you ever been to the IKEA store? If you once visited one of them, then become part of a large experiment. You cannot imagine how a Swedish company uses the concept of its stores.

Neuromarketer Tim Zyudgihist for publication the next web described how IKEA monitors user behavior and analyzes it.

According to the expert, IKEA analyzes our behavior for good intentions: the furniture giant wants to know more about the effects of subtle (and sometimes noticeable) changes that affect our buying behavior.

The sudgist began to visit the shop in Delft much more often. It is easier to detect these subtle changes (or experiments). The location of the restaurant, the signs and even the public toilet, which seems to have been moved.

What is behind all this if viewed from neuromarketing? Let's take a look at psychological marketing techniques that can explain these changes. Does the location of the toilet affect the sort of disassembled and packed cupboard you will be dragging towards your car?

1. Happy shopping day - how to distract children

All aboard! Well, almost everything. Let's start from the beginning: Smaland. A paradise in which you can leave your children without bothering your conscience to go shopping in peace.

Children tend to get tired quickly over the long journey that this Swedish fricadekid giant has built for you. Bored children switch attention and endless energy to their closest entertainment - their parents.

From this it follows that shopping with children will make you literally run through this maze as quickly as possible. The less time you spend in IKEA, the less you spend money and will not be set up for big purchases. Exactly those purchases that IKEA wants from you. Less grumbling, more profit.

2. Have you lost track of time?

Have you ever stopped thinking that you don’t see a single window in IKEA? Of course, you can look, but you will not find a hint of sunlight. Fake clocks on the walls do not really help to understand how much time is now. This is a great trick that they learned from the casino experience.

Remove any time symbol and you will lose track of it. And then suddenly spend more time thinking than planned. Slowly filling your cart at the same time.

Фото: Depositphotos

3. No problem with commitments?

At the very beginning of our journey, we stumble upon a box with free pencils and empty shopping lists. A very thoughtful move from IKEA, because with such a huge amount of products and corresponding warehouses, we just need a memo.

And although this is similar to reciprocity according to Cialdini, one of the six signs of conviction described by psychologist Robert Cialdini - a comment of a translator), when you receive something, it prompts you to give something in return. In our case, this is money, but there is one more thing: commitment.

By clearly recording the items you want to purchase, you put yourself in front of the obligation to make a purchase. With every word and every recorded article, you are increasingly obliging yourself to purchase this cabinet. Just because it is on your list. Compare this with the situation when you do not have this list. Here you are not obliged to buy a huge package of chips, because you simply don’t need it in the end.

4. Remove the reasons not to buy

With a sheet and pencil at the ready, you set yourself up for a long journey to the wealth of choice of corner sofas. Still, your eyes cling to the first category of products: "useful gizmos." Brushes, sponges, candles and all that. “While I'm here, it may be worth buying these cheap things. Sooner or later they will come in handy. ”

Such small purchases completely change your mind. Instead of "what should I buy," your brain goes into buyer mode. In this mode, your main thought is “what else can I buy?”. Because of this small purchase, all barriers disappear and nothing else stops you from subsequent expenses. The shopping season is officially open.

5. Cheap cafe

You buy something anyway, because you came to IKEA intentionally. One of the reasons is that it’s indecently cheap. Take a look at their cafe. It seems that they distribute food almost for free. It seems that they practically do not earn on it.

Your common sense will try to find a rational explanation for this. “If they make money on this penny, then profits should be built on large sales volumes.” Everything is checked in practice, isn’t it?

It doesn’t matter if this is the case or not, IKEA’s pricing policy works as one. You have convinced yourself that IKEA sells products almost at cost. With such a low markup, you definitely pay the best possible price. What is not necessarily true for all products ...

Фото: Depositphotos

6. And swedish hot dogs

And shopping is finally over. You crossed out each item in your list and, with the number of boxes in your basket, sufficient to fill half of the house with them, you face your forehead with a difficult fate. It's time for awareness. All these small purchases add up to a substantial amount. Let's admit, spending money is an unpleasant business.

But IKEA will not let you be sad. A smart solution was found. Since they are well aware that the last purchase is remembered, they make you an offer that cannot be refused. The cheapest hot dogs and ice cream you can find. Why not indulge yourself after long shopping?

That is, in the end, you get on a good deal. According to the peak end rule, two things are remembered. The climax and the ending.

Satisfied, you sit down on the sofa, which, of course, collected yourself (effect-IKEA), and remember the fun shopping day.

7. Wait, that's not all

And what about moving the toilet? What is behind neuromarketing behind this?

I turned to Google Scholar and began to delve into scientific research in search of mention of any connection between consumer behavior and toilets. And found nothing. So maybe the blue-yellow leader in the furniture market knows something that even scientists couldn’t find?

This is where my ideas ran out, I visited my favorite store again, looking for inspiration and clues to the “experiment on moving the toilet”. For one reason or another and to my surprise, the toilet was returned to its original place. The kind shopkeeper helped me solve this riddle.

The toilets were simply temporarily moved due to repairs.

Translation: Telegram @perevel

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