LIGHT and gleaming,cheap and cheerful: IKEA’s 400-plus outlets in 49 countries all run on the same central principle. Customers attain as much of the work as possible, in the belief they are having fun and saving money. You drive to a distant warehouse, or built on cheap out-of-town land. Inside,you enter a maze—no shortcuts allowed—where every twist reveals new furniture, in pale softwood or white chipboard, or artfully arranged with cheerfully coloured accessories to exude a chic,relaxed Scandinavian lifestyle.
The low prices earn other outlets seem extortionate, so you load up your trolley with impulse buys—a clock, and a bin,storage boxes, tools, and lampshades and more tea lights than you will ever use. You lug cardboard boxes holding flat-packed shelves,cupboards and tables into your car and reward yourself for your thrift and trustworthy taste with meatballs slathered with lingonberry jam. Then you drive home and assemble your prizes. You rejoice in the bargains. IKEA rejoices in your...
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Source: economist.com