IKEA - Why They're So Successful

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  • Опубликовано: 17 окт 2024
  • Brand New Patreon: / companyman
    Episode Description:
    IKEA is the largest furniture store in the world, and they've used some unique strategies to gain their success. This video examines those strategies while trying to answer the question of why they're so successful.
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Комментарии • 3 тыс.

  • @carnotv6136
    @carnotv6136 5 лет назад +2058

    Day 43: I’m still trapped in ikea. I found another restaurant. I think it’s the same one from day 26! Which means I’m closer to the front, I might get out. I asked a guy in the restaurant if he could point me to the exit. He got up, put his hands on my shoulder and said “I’ve been here for a year, there’s know what out” I got spooked. I fell asleep on a blue bed with a bird blanket. I’ll keep it marked down. I’m running out of pages, I don’t know how long I’ll be in here.

  • @derse1292
    @derse1292 5 лет назад +1375

    I actually work at an IKEA. It's hands down the most positive and constructive work environment I've ever been a part of.

    • @Piggy991
      @Piggy991 5 лет назад +78

      Here in Slovakia when the swedish management left and let the slovaks run it and then came after few years to check it they were shocked how they fucked everything up. No more nordic socialism where everybody is equal and fairly payed. True capitalism where you have to shut up and the management makes 10 more then average joe :D

    • @LeviG
      @LeviG 5 лет назад +61

      Same here! I love my coworkers and it is generally a very nice place to be. 99% of the customers are pleasant to deal with, because we all spread those good vibes, because we all cheer each other up.

    • @TheSinisterProdigy
      @TheSinisterProdigy 5 лет назад +8

      At my location, everyone said it sucked working there.

    • @DualFace_1
      @DualFace_1 4 года назад +1

      thank you Godzilla(?), Very cool.

    • @jimbrutan_senior
      @jimbrutan_senior 4 года назад +4

      I wanna work with IKEA, please connect me

  • @agentsmithofthematrix5111
    @agentsmithofthematrix5111 6 лет назад +2999

    True key to IKEA success:
    1)Lock you in a Maze for 3 hrs
    2)Sell your starving family Hot Dogs & soda afterwards

    • @paulleach3612
      @paulleach3612 5 лет назад +45

      If you ever played Theme Park on the P.C. back in the 90's... (They'll be over salting the fries next.)

    • @macldinc
      @macldinc 5 лет назад +24

      @@Vulcano7965 Built towns out of the furniture and defend from them

    • @Vulcano7965
      @Vulcano7965 5 лет назад +27

      @@macldinc and randomly move the exit around.

    • @justindorthewonderwizard645
      @justindorthewonderwizard645 5 лет назад +25

      scp gang
      *neck snaps*

    • @Nani_Sadanala
      @Nani_Sadanala 5 лет назад +3

      why they sell food inside Ikea stores, what's their strategy behind that?

  • @leocossham
    @leocossham 6 лет назад +1303

    Failed to talk about how it's completely vertically integrated! They grow the trees, cut them down, design and make the furniture, and sell it to you. There's no middle men taking profit away, that's why they can charge cheap prices and still make so much money

    • @BenjaSonne
      @BenjaSonne 6 лет назад +123

      insiderunnernot actually not completly truth. Ikea finds "partners", and hire them to work with ikea, that can make the products how ikea wants it, and under ikea conditions for the workers amd the nature around.

    • @leocossham
      @leocossham 6 лет назад +16

      @@BenjaSonne interesting, thanks

    • @TheDesius
      @TheDesius 6 лет назад +6

      its made in your own home, you have to build it yourself.
      all it is, is a few pieces of wood. doesn't matter where it is created

    • @BenjaSonne
      @BenjaSonne 6 лет назад +30

      China items arent necessarily bad. BUT ofcourse you get what you pay for! But one thing you know when you buy IKEA furniture, is that you are not paying extra for a name on the furniture. Also all the furniture are not made in china, but yeah, some of the items are made in china.

    • @JackLin84
      @JackLin84 5 лет назад +7

      Im from the furniture Industry and yes they outsource most of their manufacturing, squeeze the manufacturers dry, count every nut and bolt and produce subquality furniture. I can get u cheaper better furniture than them.

  • @TheCMLion
    @TheCMLion 6 лет назад +451

    I think one of the reasons IKEA is so successful is that when you go there, you get ideas. The mini apartments and kitchen set-ups show how it will look in real world applications. Even if you don't need a couch, the idea gets planted: You go home and you think, "that couch would really work here." So you go back and get that couch. As you're wandering about after writing down the couch's bin number, you see a table... They have so much, I know I'm going find something, even if it's just tea lights or napkins.
    Also, IKEA is pretty cheap. You can furnish a living room (with accent pieces) for about $1500, which is perfect for students and people just starting out. There is also the "divorced dad walk": generally guys that are getting a divorce so they have to set up a whole place on their own... cheap. They wander about with glassy eyes picking out whole rooms, even down to the vase on display. I've had more than one conversation with guys like that. They're usually coming from a home that's been decorated and designed, going to an unfurnished apartment with nothing. I was almost hugged by a guy when I told him that they have whole sets of dishes and flatware downstairs cheap!
    If there is an issue with IKEA is that the furniture doesn't move well. It works and looks great in your apartment, but when you move to another apartment or home...? Suddenly, it's a little wobbly after the move. I have a really great bookshelf that required a lot of structural support after the move to my house. It will not be making another move (it's currently anchored to the wall in several key areas). Same with the couch. I consider a lot of their pieces as place holders until I can get something more lasting.

    • @Sciencespipo
      @Sciencespipo 5 лет назад +25

      basiclly it's successfull because it's cheap. People will put up with a lot of shit if it means they don't have to pay too much for something, it's that simple

    • @arturodelarosa4394
      @arturodelarosa4394 5 лет назад

      Yet.. they are far from the inventors of showrooms.

    • @oddtonkaproductions5617
      @oddtonkaproductions5617 5 лет назад +5

      TheCMLion dude you pretty much just wrote an essay

    • @kamlarampersaddesilva3679
      @kamlarampersaddesilva3679 5 лет назад +5

      This is very good information

    • @karma_monkey
      @karma_monkey 5 лет назад +3

      Good points!

  • @MultiZimbabwe
    @MultiZimbabwe 6 лет назад +527

    Fun Facts: IKEA actually introduced restaurants because Ingvar Kamprad noticed that sales dropped during lunch hours. Also, most items names have Scandinavian places names as opposed to just Swedish names. I'm surprised you didn't mention that IKEA isn't publicly traded and is committed to its founder's values or that IKEA has a rather interesting structure when looking at its parent companies.

    • @lepurten
      @lepurten 4 года назад +13

      Its scandinavian names AFAIK. Rumors are that IKEA got into some heavy waters with the Danes because their dormats and rugs are often named after danish places and terms. Some feel like that carries a meaning to it.

    • @37dhw8
      @37dhw8 3 года назад +6

      another fun fact, the reason behind the names is that ingvar kamprad, the founder and IK in IKEA, was dyslexic! he found it difficult to have complex model designations, so each furniture category is assigned a different type of name - place names, boys names, foods, etc.

    • @tolfan4438
      @tolfan4438 3 года назад

      Mr Woolworth could have told him that.

    • @andyelliott8027
      @andyelliott8027 2 года назад +1

      IKEA is actually pronounced EEE KAY A.

    • @Kc-qe5dv
      @Kc-qe5dv Год назад +2

      Another disturbing fun fact: Ingvar kamprad Ikea’s founder was a Fascist, who heavily funded fascist politics. Thankfully I’ve never shopped at low quality, overpriced ikea & won’t ever.

  • @swmike
    @swmike 6 лет назад +357

    One added thing. Customer service. I have easily spent over 10-20kEUR at IKEA during the past 20 years or so. Some times things have broken, sometimes because I did something wrong, sometimes because there might have been something wrong with the product. You go to the store with the defective item, I often don't even have a receipt, and they replace it. I once broke a glass lamp on the way home. I went back the next day, and they just replaced it. Broken top of a small cupboard, two years later, no receipt. They just replaced it, no cost to me. Sometimes I needed something I had lost, they pointed me to a wall of spare screws, and asked me to donate to a charity as ways of payment (optional). This is the thing with IKEA, they seem to value you as a long term customer, and they don't mind short term loss. I went there with 5 broken LED lamps that broke in a power outage. They took them and gave me a gift card with equivalent money on it. I have more stories like this. It's just a no-nonsense customer care place, and when you buy things there you know they'll be decent to you (at least that's my experience).

    • @watershed44
      @watershed44 6 лет назад +57

      Mikael Abrahamsson
      Part of Swedish culture too this kind of looking out for the best interests of all their citizens, not found many places.

    • @NoThrottle
      @NoThrottle 6 лет назад +5

      HettGutt i agree. wish steve jobs was back.

    • @chronicallymeee
      @chronicallymeee 6 лет назад +32

      They also have replacement parts for a very long time even for products that have been out of production for decades, it took my mum having a certain shelving system (that was clearance when she bought it) 25 years before they no longer had replacement parts. It's nice to just walk in and say this piece broke and they'll bring you a new one, and even when they didn't have the piece, they gave my mum a couple similar ones and told her to try them and come back if they didn't work. The automatic reaction wasn't to say she had to buy a new one, it was to come up with a solution. She did get a new shelving system about a year after that, but the replacement part although not perfect allowed her to set aside money instead of going into debt for it.

    • @JesseMcdonalds
      @JesseMcdonalds 6 лет назад

      They seem too generous. If I buy a shirt and a bird shits on it..... I don't understand this kind of thinking. The cost of a product and the profit margin are what you pay for. If you buy something and it's all wrong and you break it then you are causing everyone else a burden.

    • @swmike
      @swmike 6 лет назад +20

      Think of it as an added insurance. Also, I have spent probably 100-1000x the money with IKEA during my lifetime than they have spent fixing problems that I have had. It makes people come back to the store because they trust that they'll get taken care of in case of problems. IKEA stands behind their products and when you're a customer, they want to make sure you have a great experience with their products. It's just great customer care policy to make customers like IKEA and keep coming back.

  • @St0len1
    @St0len1 5 лет назад +933

    Mom: Hey son you want to go to Disney Land?
    Me: Nah let"s go to Ikea.

  • @HollieForrest
    @HollieForrest 6 лет назад +324

    One main reason I enjoy ikea is also their “As Is” section, where they sell all of the pieces that were used as displays throughout the store for clearance prices. It’s a great way to get markdowns on some of their pricier items! Great video 👍

    • @tailtactics1681
      @tailtactics1681 5 лет назад +3

      TIME TO DELIVER A PIZZA BALL

    • @niahoad
      @niahoad 3 года назад +2

      My comfy couch and my tv table (which both were on sale) agree

    • @jyohe78
      @jyohe78 Год назад

      And if you came through my line with “As Is” merch. If the price was left blank. I would simply charge $1.00.

  • @Yapinians
    @Yapinians 6 лет назад +236

    IKEA as I kid I remembered being excited to go to ikea mainly do to the fun ballpit slides they had which I think is a pretty genius marketing strategy where you have kids actively wanting to go to a furniture shopping store.

    • @DarkshadowXD63
      @DarkshadowXD63 6 лет назад +1

      I still want to go just to have fun

    • @Sarahbryson321
      @Sarahbryson321 6 лет назад +2

      I like the flat escalators in the uk ikeas are tall and I love the warehouse because my dad works in shoes and boots and I like warehouses and the lifts and it is in Coventry it is near Northampton

    • @Ron4885
      @Ron4885 6 лет назад +1

      Yellow Pancake. I love going to IKEA on stormy Sat.'s Could just be me but it's fun meandering through there on a cold rainy day. Usually end up with something new for the kitchen.

    • @mmmgluten
      @mmmgluten 6 лет назад

      DarkshadowXD63 i loved throwing the balls into the birdhouse

    • @Free_Krazy
      @Free_Krazy 6 лет назад +3

      It was allways the scale and the fact they had an entire floor of furniture, rooms and kitchens, it was like walking into another dimention where 20 houses were just mashed together into one massive building, it was stunning as a kid and super nostalgic now.
      It is truely unlike any other shopping center, even a mall cant compare to the atmosphere Ikea creates.

  • @timothymclean
    @timothymclean 6 лет назад +476

    Including restaurants and play areas and whatnot in IKEAs is brilliant. It's a long trip to get there and not one you'll make often (few people go through furniture on a weekly or monthly basis), so why not make it more of "an experience"? The play area is especially genius; parents can't leave young kids at home for a few hours while they buy furniture, but the kids would quickly get impatient if they had to just follow their parents around even the prettiest furniture store...and impatient kids are disruptive and destructive. Keeping young children in their own fun zone not only keeps the kids separated from customers and displays, but makes them less obnoxious in the first place.

    • @graham_lively1732
      @graham_lively1732 6 лет назад +20

      Timothy McLean lol I remember going to Ikea as a kid and liking it

    • @WickedPhase
      @WickedPhase 6 лет назад +11

      the restaurant at ikea is sooo good

    • @altonb.1396
      @altonb.1396 6 лет назад +5

      I first saw high school musical in the play area

    • @donloder1
      @donloder1 6 лет назад +2

      i like how you put emphasis on kids being somewhat a bother in there.

    • @Cyb0rgLP
      @Cyb0rgLP 6 лет назад +2

      Actually we have ours directly in the city. For most people here (Austria and it's the same in Germany) it isn't a long trip at all.

  • @llloyd4
    @llloyd4 5 лет назад +226

    Reminds me of some of the banned commercials I've seen. One was for Ikea and it was obviously European as it featured a standing wardrobe. not a dresser or closet. Anyway. Guy comes home from work, apparently early. Finds his wife in bed dressed in nothing but lingerie. He's surprised but she pushes him onto the bed and starts to get frisky with him. That was until someone sneezed in the wardrobe and the wardrobe doors fell off revealing she was having an affair and the guy she was sleeping with was hiding in the wardrobe as her husband got home early. Then the commercial mentions that wouldn't have happened with Ikea who has better quality. :D

  • @NrNi9e
    @NrNi9e 6 лет назад +136

    I have worked at IKEA, Älmhult where it all started. In the early days, Ingvar Kamprad would come once a year and shake hand with every employee and thank them for their effort. IKEAs success is primarily because they could offer cheaper furniture than others since you had to assemble it yourself they could keep prices very low. Also, Ingvar was a big employeer in Sweden and people liked him cause of his modesty (modesty is a big thing in Småland), and that he offered them good jobs (they used to be great, now... Not as good). Nice video! Thanks for bringing up the company of my small hometown :)

    • @sam-im3os
      @sam-im3os 6 лет назад +3

      NrNi9e kul jag e uppvuxen i Älmhult o IKEA

    • @raceris7309
      @raceris7309 6 лет назад

      Cheaper furniture? Here in Lithuania, we only have one IKEA store, and the prices there are quite high, compared to JYSK, which is a danish furniture seller. We have tons of JYSK stores here, and the prices are fine & reasonable. Never been to IKEA in my life, I think I'll visit it someday.

    • @Youtube_Globetrotter
      @Youtube_Globetrotter 6 лет назад

      Fick ni något extra betalt när han hälsade på?

    • @NrNi9e
      @NrNi9e 6 лет назад

      @@RUclips_Globetrotter handskakning och besök från Kamprad var långt före min tid. Det är min far, som också jobbat (gör ännu) sol berättat att Kampard dök upp runt Jul och tackade alla där. Är du också Älmhults bo?

    • @Youtube_Globetrotter
      @Youtube_Globetrotter 6 лет назад

      Nä, det är jag inte. Har inte ens varit i Älmhult i hela mitt liv. Men jag har hört att man fick en julbonus av honom. Speciellt dom som jobbade i Älmhult.

  • @phantomr277
    @phantomr277 6 лет назад +361

    Bruh, going to IKEA is the Disney Land of furniture.
    I swear, the first time I went, I’ve never felt so amazed by every floor in the store.
    Not to mention the restaurant with exquisite foods.

    • @thesoftestvoice8396
      @thesoftestvoice8396 6 лет назад +8

      isn't it "the disneyland of furniture"? the other means the literal furniture that you can find in disneyland

    • @phantomr277
      @phantomr277 6 лет назад +4

      the softest voice
      Fixed

    • @timmmahhhh
      @timmmahhhh 6 лет назад +5

      Salmon at a department store restaurant?? Hell yeah!

    • @fisqual
      @fisqual 6 лет назад

      I wish they had an option to buy real wood versions of their furniture.

    • @sirBrouwer
      @sirBrouwer 6 лет назад +1

      you could take there furniture to a wood worker and ask them to make a wood version of it. IKEA is perfectly fine with that. they won't do it theme self because it would make there stuff heavy and thus cost more.

  • @drew0909
    @drew0909 6 лет назад +69

    ikea appeals to so many people because of the Scandinavian interior design, which is practical, sinple, not expensive and have an excellent sense of styling.

  • @SnipeMD
    @SnipeMD 6 лет назад +548

    A video about the decline of GameStop would be cool to see. They have been having trouble as of recent.

    • @stompchunkman4248
      @stompchunkman4248 6 лет назад +51

      Digital downloads, the obnoxious pressuring to buy certain things, the overabundance of cheap overpriced plastic crap no one is buying, and the supposed bad conditions their employees are treated might be some reasons. People getting less and less excited at some releases due to various reasons (political issues from any side, censorship, the game outright has major flaws and needs patches, day one DLC or season passes) could be other factors. Or they could be stocking up on overpriced collector's editions that most people frankly don't care about buying.

    • @justinepic337
      @justinepic337 6 лет назад +15

      Gamestop is the worst. Will never shop there again.

    • @qx4n9e1xp
      @qx4n9e1xp 6 лет назад +12

      Good. Fuck em

    • @narutobroken
      @narutobroken 6 лет назад +2

      Ive been boycotting Gamestop since 2011. Havent been in one since.

    • @JaKingScomez
      @JaKingScomez 6 лет назад +1

      @Snipe M.D bro it's been declining since like 2015 you are very late

  • @blueberrybecca4148
    @blueberrybecca4148 6 лет назад +588

    I think that IKEA promotes there country of origin more so than most places is because they want to trick consumers into thinking that the furniture is high quality and cheap. If they didn’t promote Sweden so much people might think that stuff is cheep and flimsy because of how “cheap” everything is. When you go into the dollar store you know that everything is probably made in China and will break a few hrs after you get home but. IKEA items won’t do that because they are from Europe. Even if it’s not true

    • @gustavogeraldo584
      @gustavogeraldo584 5 лет назад +23

      So interesting thanks for bringing that hypothesis.

    • @jerryteh7331
      @jerryteh7331 5 лет назад +38

      Designed in California, Made in ________

    • @FlameRat_YehLon
      @FlameRat_YehLon 5 лет назад +49

      Funny thing is that local furniture brands in China actually charges way more than IKEA in China, because they are more of selling luxury furnitures while IKEA is mostly budget stuffs.
      Also, "made in China" would only break easily if you intentionally get the cheapest stuffs. But then it's really hard to change people's mind, even within China.

    • @Sciencespipo
      @Sciencespipo 5 лет назад

      very good point

    • @yusufcagowayne1990
      @yusufcagowayne1990 5 лет назад +3

      Smart bitch

  • @jonreams6090
    @jonreams6090 5 лет назад +48

    I also think their online presence is amazing. Moving into an apartment and my closet has a large gap from the floor to the first shelf. Get the measuring tape after checking the Kallax shelf dimensions and it says it will fit. Put the bookshelf together and slide it underneath just as expected. You are lucky if most furniture stores have a website beyond a brief list of what they carry. Ikea has everything from colors and product dimensions to a phone app that uses augmented reality to place products into your space. Ikea has done just about everything imaginable to make it easy to shop.

  • @PowahSlapEntertainmint
    @PowahSlapEntertainmint 6 лет назад +1591

    Ikea: JUST DO IT...yourself.

    • @BY-bx6pc
      @BY-bx6pc 6 лет назад +2

      I swear to god your everywhere I look

    • @adv5755
      @adv5755 6 лет назад +12

      I ones went to Ikea for 8 hours without noticing it before I stepped outside and saw that it was dark outside

    • @tohopes
      @tohopes 6 лет назад +4

      I read that in Shia Lebuff's voice.

    • @vasiliymedvedev1532
      @vasiliymedvedev1532 6 лет назад +2

      @@adv5755 happens...

    • @n3wt
      @n3wt 6 лет назад +6

      We want yahoo and MySpace video damnnn it

  • @Fade2GrayOG
    @Fade2GrayOG 6 лет назад +132

    Don't forget the value of not having to deal with pushy sales people following you throughout the entire store trying to upsale you on everything. I'll happily drive an extra half hour out of my way and build it myself to avoid that nonsense. I'd go to Walmart or Target instead, but their selections usually aren't that great.

    • @B3Band
      @B3Band 6 лет назад +5

      And their furniture falls apart within a year. 100% of my Walmart furniture is no longer in my house because it all fell apart.

    • @craftpaint1644
      @craftpaint1644 6 лет назад

      My book cases are holding up like new as is a side table, but garage shelves I bought at Lowes are warping.

    • @donloder1
      @donloder1 6 лет назад +9

      oh man, those sales people are my #1 hurdle when visiting any store at all.

    • @xxXthekevXxx
      @xxXthekevXxx 6 лет назад

      I work at Walmart and can confirm. Even using the handheld computer, I can’t find where items go in that garbled nonsense that is our furniture section. Everything is just shoved in the shelves, the price label strips have fallen off, and the furniture selection sucks.

    • @johnp139
      @johnp139 6 лет назад

      That’s what the internet is for.

  • @bangchan1263
    @bangchan1263 4 года назад +859

    Fun Fact: IKEA's meatballs are made out of people who couldn't find the exit!

  • @MD-sy3iw
    @MD-sy3iw 6 лет назад +78

    I think you are likely spot-on. As you said, IKEA IS an experience. It's not just shopping. Even living in a town with one, it's still a trip to plan. And in some ways that is work, but also kind of makes it fun. It isn't an amusement park, but then it kind of is: different worlds you visit (kitchen, living room, art), cheap but good food, and you can be a bit goofy if you want. Fewer staff means fewer observers (security cameras notwithstanding), so you can feel a bit freer to try stuff out and be a little silly (including doing Swedish Chef impressions reading the product names). Also, like a good theme park, theme is important, and I think in American minds we associate anything non-American as exotic and fancy. It's also furniture not produced in the US or Japan or China (well, it might be, but I'm sure most people assume it's all from Sweden) and that may help it avoid biases against goods from any of these countries. I also think IKEA's style is very universal. Many people can find something that fits their personal style, regardless of what it is. And it's relatively inexpensive (or as you say gives the appearance of being inexpensive). I think IKEA also taps into minimalism a bit, and that seems to be relatively popular in the US at least right now (tiny homes, etc.).

  • @swissmediastuff
    @swissmediastuff 6 лет назад +44

    My local IKEA Store located in Spreitenbach AG, Switzerland, was the first IKEA outside Scandinavia!

  • @robotigirl
    @robotigirl 6 лет назад +114

    I was lucky enough to live about a 20 minute drive from the IKEA near me, and even as a local this was still a weekend adventure spot. I lived in Tampa, which is only an hour away from Disney, so choosing to go to IKEA for fun with friends is a pretty hefty statement.
    I think that there's a bit of a flaw in your first point. While I do agree that putting effort in yourself makes you value what you have more, I don't think that the draw of IKEA over other furniture stores is that additional work. The draw is that in IKEA, unless you want an employee to help you, you will not have to speak to an employee, ever. The bright colored uniforms and generally welcoming appearance of the employees is nice, but with a lot of shoppers, especially younger adults, they don't want to talk to associates they don't have to. What if they judge me for my choice in furniture or what if they try to upsell me something I don't need? When you're re-furnishing a home or buying high-ticket items for the first time, the awkward and confusing dance between someone working on commission trying to sell you the most expensive thing they can is utterly terrifying. With IKEA, you're welcome to browse, try things out, and at the end all you have to do is push a cart with a couple boxes on it out the door.
    And, as an add-on, I think that one of the benefits of IKEA is its designing. There are a number of furniture stores near me, and I'll visit them on occasion. Each one I have gone into is dark, with lots of wood, glass, and just generally cramped spacing. Every piece is hundreds of dollars, and can be difficult to find. This was an aesthetic that was pretty universal for a time, but now a lot of people go for either minimalism or bright colors - both of which IKEA is excellent at providing. The store is generally a lot more open, allowing customers to walk through showrooms, test out what's there, and envision what certain pieces would look like in their own homes. It makes me wonder, however, when minimalistic decor goes out of fashion if IKEA will keep up or fall out to a competitor? Needless to say, however, IKEA is also a very well-priced store. I was able to completely makeover my entire bedroom with brand new everything for only a couple hundred bucks. That was 7 years ago and all of the furniture is still holding up well and it's survived a total of 6 moves.
    I'd also say IKEA is simply a very well-thought out store. Families often need to buy new furniture, and most furniture stores are the bane of any child's existence. Every piece is sterile and they are explicitly told not to touch anything. In IKEA, the colors are bright and there's a good combination between big furniture to look at and touch, as well as smaller additionals (i.e. the towels, lint rollers, etc.) that you can pick up and mess with along the way. IKEA also has a wonderful practice of including children into their layouts as well. Living room sets will often have a small play area or a long roll of paper to draw on. All of the stairs have two sets of handrails - one for the adults and one for smaller children. They have a kid's section that is actually designed around what kids like, and the store has such a strong basis in safety of what they sell that it's very trustworthy. This makes it significantly easier to bring children along, and therefore bond a little bit in selecting new furniture as a family.
    And I'll wrap this up with one last thing. As the newest generations of young adults and teenagers have begun to flood the economy, the prevailing qualities consumers look for has become affordable (because who can afford thousands of dollars in new furnishings when you already have a ton of student debt) options from a well-reputed company. Every IKEA roof is consumed by solar panels to promote renewable energy, the scraps of food remaining from the restaurant guests is composted, and the employees typically make well above minimum wage - an entry-level position as a dishwasher at my IKEA was about $11-$12 an hour, if I remember correctly, when minimum wage in Florida was only $8.15. Supporting companies and brands that support issues like these is a way of directly putting money where our opinions are.
    I don't care how many mattress firms are in my area. I'd rather drive 6 hours to an IKEA to buy a bed than go to my local mattress firm.

    • @toor1554
      @toor1554 4 года назад +8

      I don't think I've ever seen a comment this long...

    • @colejosephalexanderkashay683
      @colejosephalexanderkashay683 4 года назад

      Those matress firms are too firm

    • @stormytehcat
      @stormytehcat 3 года назад

      tldr

    • @Meateater69234
      @Meateater69234 3 года назад

      @@toor1554 there’s longer

    • @raidiar2021
      @raidiar2021 2 года назад

      I haven't visited this store often, but I really do respect the hell out of it. One opened near my church very recently, and it's always great to visit.

  • @oneshoeshort
    @oneshoeshort 6 лет назад +338

    Our IKEA in Houston was about 30-45 minutes from my hometown of Katy. I always liked going there as a kid. It was exactly as you described: a maze. When I got older and moved out I started buying furniture there. I wanted to be more independent and I felt assembling my own furniture brought about a sense of accomplishment. As for the fact that they constantly display where they’re from, I always loved that too. Be like IKEA. Be proud of your origins :)

    • @fj3633
      @fj3633 5 лет назад +5

      Elizabeth Dickey I live in the close to Houston too and I’m guessing we go to the same ikea, love that place to death.

    • @heathbauerle2787
      @heathbauerle2787 5 лет назад +2

      I got my desk from the Houston IKEA as well, same experienced.

    • @notforgotten3685
      @notforgotten3685 5 лет назад +4

      I'm from Houston too. I've been to that Ikea too. Love the place.

    • @jari2018
      @jari2018 5 лет назад +2

      The first store in stockholm sweden was the real maze , not the ones in this video since i see them as simple layouts - That store was a circle and in it was 1.5, 2.5 , 3.5 floors above the 1,2,3, through patchways since the building was like a hollow cylinder - in there you never know in which direction you were facing - now when Im old - i wonder what was the fuzz - nowadays that store is smallish ( its protected and cant be demolished )

    • @jkh_studios3467
      @jkh_studios3467 4 года назад +2

      I used to live in Katy lol. IKEA was def longer to get there for me because traffic was prob bigger then

  • @ExaltedDuck
    @ExaltedDuck 6 лет назад +182

    I've only ever considered Ikea furniture low-to-ok quality but the prices are fair for what you get. Shopping there is fun. The stores have a unique charm to them, selection is fantastic and the show floor are literally full of decor ideas. Spending 20 minutes assembling the furniture can be fun, too, and a great way to get young ones comfortable with working with their hands... It's kind of like Legos

    • @johnp139
      @johnp139 6 лет назад +6

      ExaltedDuck I think that it is overpriced crap furniture. You can get equivalent crap furniture from Sauder at half the price!

    • @michaelyun2407
      @michaelyun2407 6 лет назад +6

      Is pretty cheap when you compare to other furniture stores. A lot of stuff still works from ikea. As long as you don't abuse them they will last a while. My dad still have the ikdea desk he tog over 15 years ago. Sure the style is out of date but still works. However, now it seems the quality is not as great as before.

    • @JM1993951
      @JM1993951 6 лет назад +1

      Shopping there can be quite fun. But I have a different experience with pricing. The pieces of theirs that I actually like and consider to be of decent quality are always way overpriced. A little searching online always yields me a better buy somewhere else, even if it does take a little more effort.

    • @JM1993951
      @JM1993951 6 лет назад +3

      @@johnp139 My 7 bookshelves are from Sauder. They look a little better than Ikea, in terms of my color scheme in my room, and cost much less.

    • @ExaltedDuck
      @ExaltedDuck 6 лет назад +1

      @@JM1993951 Bob's discount furniture just recently opened a store near me and their pricing seems at least as good as Ikea's and quality seems better. I wouldnt consider living room chairs or sofas from either but the dressers and cabinets and accent pieces seemed reasonable.

  • @luv2sana
    @luv2sana 4 года назад +35

    Ikea is just nostalgic.
    Whenever I go there, I just get these surges of memories coming at me all at once.
    I'd argue it's a better experience than Disney Land.

    • @TackyFlamingo
      @TackyFlamingo 4 года назад +1

      It’s probably better than Disney Land but i think it’s a close second to Disneyland.

    • @Raiya_ru17
      @Raiya_ru17 Год назад

      Lol it is for the adults. Pandemic brought up the home buddies mode for most people stuck at home. It’s funny how there’s even exclusive FB groups dedicated to home styling/renovation. That’s why IKEA hit a jackpot when they opened their first store in our country in 2020. Everyone was excited and the opening month was crazy. 3 years later they are still like a must visit store for most people here.

  • @CarsSimplified
    @CarsSimplified 6 лет назад +530

    The meatballs.
    The meatballs are why they're so successful.

    • @Ritz_Quackers
      @Ritz_Quackers 6 лет назад +4

      And those oat/chocolate cookies. Mmmmm

    • @VegasStuto
      @VegasStuto 6 лет назад +3

      That is a pathetic excuse for a meatball

    • @cryye8569
      @cryye8569 6 лет назад +11

      VegasStuto Du har så jälva fel

    • @Gooong
      @Gooong 6 лет назад +5

      Put those meatballs and gravy over fries and mozzarella cheese and have yourself a Swedish poutine!

    • @brightmoor
      @brightmoor 6 лет назад +2

      Yes, those lovely meatballs that were found to have horse meat in them. Yum!
      www.thestar.com/news/world/2013/02/25/horsemeat_found_in_ikeas_swedish_meatballs.html

  • @Iinneus
    @Iinneus 6 лет назад +226

    3:15 - For some reason I interpreted this as...
    "IKEA is an acronym meaning:
    I - Each
    K - Letter
    E - Stands for
    A - Something"
    ...i was very confused

  • @TheGodEmperorOfMankind_
    @TheGodEmperorOfMankind_ 6 лет назад +238

    The furniture quality is decent, prices are low and assembling is easy. Plus the meatballs are godlike

    • @FlameRat_YehLon
      @FlameRat_YehLon 5 лет назад +5

      To me their beef meat ball tastes like chicken for some reason... Even though tastes not bad it's definitely not the best kind of meatball in my opinion.

    • @TheGodEmperorOfMankind_
      @TheGodEmperorOfMankind_ 5 лет назад +2

      @@FlameRat_YehLon It's definitely not my meatball of choice usually, but it's great once in a while

    • @vaderladyl
      @vaderladyl 4 года назад +1

      Looks good but never felt like going there and I have one close to my home.

    • @nahor88
      @nahor88 3 года назад +1

      The "assembling is easy" is kinda subjective... if you have zero motor skills like me, the 4 legged nightstands were easy, but the bed, not so much...

    • @joesmith942
      @joesmith942 3 года назад +2

      The furniture is crap. I can't believe they sell anything.

  • @goodsocksproductions9397
    @goodsocksproductions9397 6 лет назад +54

    As to if IKEA presenting itself as very Swedish, I feel like it has a very large impact on the feel of it. It adds to the feeling of stepping into another world. An IKEA world where everything is magical. Honestly, IKEA has a similar feel to Disneyland to me.

    • @DiscoveryNewsNow
      @DiscoveryNewsNow 6 лет назад +3

      Sweden is magical

    • @0JaY0
      @0JaY0 6 лет назад +10

      Watershed44 as a Swedish person that has lived a major part of my life in a so-called "No-Go zone" according to some sources. I must say Sweden is perfectly safe even in No-go zones and Muslims is not destroying the culture quickly. But I must agree that the mass immigration has its problems when there was not a system in place.
      I would still argue that Sweden still productive and safe: RSF second place after Norway & HDI 14 place & GDP 22/23 place that is after only 7 other EU countries that most/all have a higher population than Sweden.
      Links:
      RSF (reporters without border): rsf.org/en/ranking
      HDI (UN): hdr.undp.org/en/composite/HDI
      GDP: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)

    • @bandombeviews6035
      @bandombeviews6035 6 лет назад

      I think thats why they so heavily emphasize "Hey! We're sweedish!" Just like volvo is now. And it works.

    • @goodsocksproductions9397
      @goodsocksproductions9397 6 лет назад

      What's a no-go zone?

    • @watershed44
      @watershed44 6 лет назад +1

      Jay
      Keep thinking it won't get any worse....it will, eventually these invasive
      creatures will take over and you will be living in hell. That's their plan after all.
      Sweden won't be "Sweden" when the third world immigrants out number native white Swedes. That wonderful culture and heritage will be lost forever.

  • @KnlMohawk13
    @KnlMohawk13 6 лет назад +139

    I👏🏻love👏🏻ikea👏🏻 I needed a shower curtain and drove about thirty minutes out of my way because I was bored on a Saturday. I live two minutes from a Walmart and instead of running there getting the shower curtains and coming back home to do nothing I spent three hours looking at furniture and I had a great time doing it

    • @gustavogeraldo584
      @gustavogeraldo584 5 лет назад +3

      I did the same once.

    • @RS-pb2se
      @RS-pb2se 5 лет назад +3

      Interesting. Might do the same one day.

    • @victorsrensen6475
      @victorsrensen6475 5 лет назад +5

      Your "Great Time" Is my nightmare

    • @armanke13
      @armanke13 5 лет назад +6

      So it's more like experience shopping,

    • @davidkonevky7372
      @davidkonevky7372 4 года назад

      That's the fun part, IKEA sells you a fun/satisfying experience, not only a shower curtain

  • @bjmurray1842
    @bjmurray1842 4 года назад +18

    My son was in love (no quotes) with a Swedish girl in our town for 2 years (they were 11-12ish), He was too shy/anxious to declare how he felt, She seemed to 'like' him too., The only thing I could give him was the 45 minute drive to IKEA, at least 3 plates of meatballs (Swedish Flag toothpick included), Just being there made him happy. Of course, he found out that she actually did like him, but by then, she had returned to Sweden with her Family. IKEA played a big part in helping him deal, I am grateful,

  • @nebula0024
    @nebula0024 6 лет назад +176

    Great video. You hit every single point right on the head, even your bonus reason. In particular, visiting the restaurant is a *must*, because you WILL end up spending hours in there. Do not go to IKEA thinking you'll just get in and get out. Especially if you have young kids, plan to take your time walking through this place. Also, beyond furniture they have basically every decoration you'd ever need for your house, fixtures, carpets, rugs, dining plates, as well as both real and fake plants.

    • @sirBrouwer
      @sirBrouwer 6 лет назад +7

      actually if you really know that you go for one item and you know the code of the item you could go strait in to the warehouse part and be in and out in a few minutes.

    • @kricku
      @kricku 6 лет назад +4

      As a child-less swede I just go in and out every now and then. It's in the city's shopping district

    • @porkybitz
      @porkybitz 6 лет назад +6

      Go to the website and browse. Grab the SKU of what you want and go downstairs at the entrance via stairs/elevator. Find the location of the flat pack via the computers within the warehouse, slap them on a cart and head to the register. The meatballs (both beef and chicken) are available in the freezers along the way. Nab a few bags and pay for it all on your way out.
      IKEA in 30 minutes.

    • @EternityofNight
      @EternityofNight 6 лет назад +1

      They do have a lot of cheap "pottery barn" type stuff which is nice, but I spent hours walking about their store thinking "this is the almost the same price as real furniture" and also "do they have any real wood colored products" because their main color seems to be an ugly "black - brown" that is completely flat and has no depth or shine.

    • @swazeyyy
      @swazeyyy 6 лет назад +1

      Fake plants are dope!

  • @larsderoover
    @larsderoover 6 лет назад +443

    Too bad, you didn’t mention the pencils.

    • @beckigreen
      @beckigreen 6 лет назад +9

      Alvinsland2 Greedy.

    • @testname4464
      @testname4464 6 лет назад +25

      @@beckigreen How? It's free.

    • @audreyyishere
      @audreyyishere 5 лет назад +15

      Steal all the pencils >:)

    • @davidallen3158
      @davidallen3158 5 лет назад +1

      How about the ceramic power coupler that now make cute decorations.

    • @Alrox.
      @Alrox. 5 лет назад +2

      @@audreyyishere Its not stealing if its free xD

  • @stephen7185
    @stephen7185 5 лет назад +73

    "They NEVER HAVE TO LEAVE".
    Love IKEA forever.
    Live in IKEA forever.
    Die in IKEA forever.

    • @Kruppt808
      @Kruppt808 4 года назад +2

      I heard they will start selling memberships that enable you to exit the store from many different areas.

    • @garfieldandfriends1
      @garfieldandfriends1 3 года назад +1

      ​@@Kruppt808 Well you can't spell IKEA without *'EA'*

    • @turntapeover5749
      @turntapeover5749 3 года назад +2

      I mean they have nice furniture to settle in and they have food. Why would you wanna leave anyway? XD

  • @stargazersmusic1505
    @stargazersmusic1505 6 лет назад +119

    Lol. "Patreon - How the donation platform became such a profitable business model"

    • @Nevir202
      @Nevir202 6 лет назад +10

      Cody Jackson This is actually a brilliant topic!

    • @AnaCristina-dv6qu
      @AnaCristina-dv6qu 6 лет назад +3

      It is an amazing topic, now put that idea on patreon xD

  • @awso1000
    @awso1000 6 лет назад +77

    Ikea is listed as an attraction on the freeway exit you take to get there

    • @clifffton
      @clifffton 6 лет назад +4

      In Columbus Ohio it is on IKEA Way.....

    • @900Yugo
      @900Yugo 6 лет назад

      Mine is located on Stockholm blvd

    • @baetsimpson
      @baetsimpson 6 лет назад +1

      @@clifffton Mine, too. The busses even have "IKEA Way" signage

    • @MichaelRockfez
      @MichaelRockfez 6 лет назад

      Donald Clifton Aay! Columbus

    • @Free_Krazy
      @Free_Krazy 6 лет назад

      Lol i allways remembered my mom asking us on roadtrips "what local attractions are in this area"
      **looks at gps, um theres an IKEA?**

  • @kaned5543
    @kaned5543 5 лет назад +13

    I think the Swedish promotion and the store is definitely a factor in their success. There's something about it's foreign-ness that makes it a fun shopping trip.

  • @petercfraedrich
    @petercfraedrich 6 лет назад +99

    One of the reasons that IKEA's furniture is popular in the US is that outside of spending thousands of dollars for vintage or high-end pieces, you can get furniture that is way outside the classic "American" mold -- IKEA definitely has a mid-century modern and post-modern feel to their stuff which is hard to find in places like Walmart, Belfort, or wherever else people buy furniture. American furniture has an overpowering "midwestern" -- that is to say, farmhouse-inspired,etc. -- aspect to it that doens't appeal to the entire country, especially the more urban coastal regions.

    • @Free_Krazy
      @Free_Krazy 6 лет назад +4

      Wow.
      You like just totaly read my mind and then educated me about what you found and i realize now that your 1000% correct......

    • @1nsertTitleHere
      @1nsertTitleHere 6 лет назад +3

      I know that, here in the states, a lot of people that think IKEA is cheaply made. It's not that bad, honestly, and I love the modern feel of most of the furniture.

    • @envispojke
      @envispojke 6 лет назад +10

      Scandinavian design has a very minimalistic and functional characteristic that people seem to experience as modern. It's elegant in its ordinarity. Along with IKEA we have Volvo, H&M, Acne Studios, Fjällräven, Haglöfs, Iittala, Snøhetta, Bang & Olufsen, there are many more examples.
      I read a pretty good article the other day about it: www.thespruce.com/what-is-scandinavian-design-4149404

    • @petercfraedrich
      @petercfraedrich 6 лет назад +18

      I applaud you for taking what _was_ a civil discussion about style and aesthetics and its role in supply and demand and turning it into a politically-charged tirade railing against the country's population centers. amazing.

    • @MrWalker1000
      @MrWalker1000 6 лет назад +1

      i have both IKEa at home and the classic american heavy wood style of furniture. Im not sure which is better my parents prefer the american signature type of furniture or shopping at macys. THough idk how macys compares to ikea

  • @oatmeeru
    @oatmeeru 6 лет назад +389

    The real question is, did the costumers have to assemble their fish?

    • @fetchstixRHD
      @fetchstixRHD 6 лет назад +34

      Plot twist: the customers actually have to cook their own meals

    • @nintendogirl1016
      @nintendogirl1016 5 лет назад

      I don’t think that’s how it work back then.

    • @jacka2592
      @jacka2592 5 лет назад +1

      what the fuck is even this lol

    • @justindorthewonderwizard645
      @justindorthewonderwizard645 5 лет назад +2

      i am in fact the man who made ikea and yes i can confirm they had to put the particles that make up a fish to buy it.

    • @the.abhiram.r
      @the.abhiram.r 5 лет назад

      are they in any way involved with the creation of sweedish fish?

  • @BruceNachsin
    @BruceNachsin 5 лет назад +4

    Last year in Burbank they closed a “normal” sized IKEA and opened another one down the road that has to be the largest store I’ve ever been in. It’s so big that they named the road leading to entering the parking area IKEA way. It’s definitely not just a store but an experience.

  • @ryanleatigaga7596
    @ryanleatigaga7596 6 лет назад +509

    Can you do a video on the Krusty Krab and the controversies behind it?

    • @companyman114
      @companyman114  6 лет назад +119

      Wow, the Krusty Krab? Like how they've had trouble keeping their secret recipe under wraps?

    • @LikaLaruku
      @LikaLaruku 6 лет назад +67

      Do it for real, but save it for April.

    • @bananakandy1
      @bananakandy1 6 лет назад +46

      More like how their employees are assumedly underpaid but still manage to have a home, furniture, and still continue to work at the Krusty Krab. Also, the incredible cost saving techniques they employ. No other company, as far as I know, have emulated the Krusty Krab in this area.

    • @Crochet_kitty
      @Crochet_kitty 6 лет назад +9

      That would make a great April Fool's day video.

    • @katelyng1019
      @katelyng1019 6 лет назад

      Lmao

  • @CZsWorld
    @CZsWorld 6 лет назад +49

    Funniest Patreon plug I've ever seen. Company Man has a great sense of dry humor.

    • @companyman114
      @companyman114  6 лет назад +12

      Thanks man. I wasn't even trying to be funny during it.

    • @Friendship1nmillion
      @Friendship1nmillion 10 месяцев назад

      ​@@companyman114Watching from Sydney Australia 🇦🇺 where there are 3 IKEA stores and none of them have a children's play area But each of them have a cafe as well as a restaurant & a unlimited soft drinks bar .
      ♑️✍️🇳🇴

  • @TheJIMIJAM27
    @TheJIMIJAM27 5 лет назад +13

    Also the employees are friendly and they are encouraging when it comes to trying out the furniture.

  • @madisonatteberry9720
    @madisonatteberry9720 6 лет назад +379

    Dear Company Man,
    May you please make a video on Patreon that is more detailed. I've been curious for a while. How do you get paid? If you do make money and a lot of it where do you put that on taxes? Is there a special tax form?
    Also Nickelodeon isn't a good place to have a show, not anymore.
    With respects,
    Madison Christian Atteberry

    • @Nevir202
      @Nevir202 6 лет назад +34

      Madison Atteberry I think a video on Patreon would be excellent!

    • @LegendarySuperVegeta
      @LegendarySuperVegeta 6 лет назад +3

      Look it up yourself

    • @twicethemegapower3995
      @twicethemegapower3995 6 лет назад +11

      He gets paid from the 2 ads played during every video😎👌
      Also, when you work for yourself (RUclips is self employment), you report your taxes on form 1099, same as if you have an esty store and collect payment through Square or something.

    • @Nevir202
      @Nevir202 6 лет назад +2

      Twice The Mega Power Pretty sure he means how does he get money from Patreon.

    • @jantyturtle8609
      @jantyturtle8609 6 лет назад +36

      Hardcore Weeb don’t talk to Madison Christian Atteberry like that.

  • @uss_04
    @uss_04 6 лет назад +167

    Can you do a video on Sysco?
    That food and restaurant supply company that always has trucks outside restaurants, and how they're more involved in those TGI Fridays/Applebees/Chilis/ Chain restaraunts than most people might think?
    (Hint: They dont just supply toilet paper and paper towels)

    • @ME-hm7zm
      @ME-hm7zm 6 лет назад +24

      Sysco is everyone's favorite restaurant, they just don't know it.

    • @uss_04
      @uss_04 6 лет назад +5

      M E Forget Blue Apron, can I just get Sysco to deliver directly to my house?

    • @craftpaint1644
      @craftpaint1644 6 лет назад +7

      Sysco is also supplier to the U S military food service division.

    • @jennymanhattan9425
      @jennymanhattan9425 6 лет назад +3

      My FIL has worked for Sysco foods for 30+ years. Its way more than paper goods. It's mostly bulk restaurant food.

    • @awagentx
      @awagentx 6 лет назад +1

      SYSCO and HMS Host... cringe at HMS...

  • @immafaint673
    @immafaint673 4 года назад +6

    I LOVE IKEA because it’s like a mini vacation in Europe. I enjoy spending hours looking at items, testing out chairs/couches/ kitchens, shopping, “oh, I didn’t know I needed THIS!” 😆
    I really like the restaurant area, too. The great variety. Those meetballs. Then taking my tray over to a table on the second floor, near a window, that overlooks the surrounding area.
    Yep, IKEA is an experience.
    Thanks for another great vid.

    • @davismiles2765
      @davismiles2765 2 года назад

      ruclips.net/video/NgNjFgcHhgs/видео.html

  • @JesusChristIsLord__
    @JesusChristIsLord__ 6 лет назад +4

    Man, you have a talent for delving into history in a way that makes it so engaging and interesting. I'm absolutely enthralled.

  • @theslimyitalian
    @theslimyitalian 6 лет назад +49

    Can you make a video on Petco/ Petsmart?
    I'm curious to know how they grew to be the only massive pet / pet supplies store.

    • @Zeruk
      @Zeruk 6 лет назад

      I need this

    • @xxXthekevXxx
      @xxXthekevXxx 6 лет назад

      That is interesting

    • @JM1993951
      @JM1993951 6 лет назад

      I'd like to encourage people to buy from Petco/PetSmart. I work in an Amazon warehouse and do not enjoy pulling 1,200lb. pallets of dog food around all day. Most pallets are fine, but my stomach turns when I see the pet food.

    • @LikaLaruku
      @LikaLaruku 6 лет назад

      Mud Bay is pretty big where I live.

  • @jamesquebral5941
    @jamesquebral5941 3 года назад +5

    I love IKEA so much. Roaming around in there is like walking around in a bunch of different houses at the same time.

  • @kricku
    @kricku 6 лет назад +133

    Some Swedish input here:
    I've never felt that assembling IKEA furniture is like building something myself. It's closer to plugging in a new TV.
    IKEA is usually located at the edge of cities with all the other stores. (I don't know if America has this concept, where there is a big, almost industrial-like shopping district coupled with cities)
    Buying things by NOT bringing it to a cashier and rather just chatting someone up, weirds me out.
    And I really really really like that IKEA is not a publicly traded company. Trading stock will be the undoing of humans, I swear

    • @suzannediwa5042
      @suzannediwa5042 6 лет назад +2

      P

    • @1nsertTitleHere
      @1nsertTitleHere 6 лет назад +3

      They do that too in the US. Most of the IKEAs Ive seen are away from the cities.

    • @testname4464
      @testname4464 6 лет назад +17

      @Truthfears Guilty Where was the device you were typing on made?

    • @testname4464
      @testname4464 6 лет назад +17

      @Truthfears Guilty How about you reply to me on something not made in a sweat shop

    • @smoldream2908
      @smoldream2908 6 лет назад

      Suzanne Diwa yeah

  • @drunkenhobo8020
    @drunkenhobo8020 6 лет назад +45

    I've heard they deliberately avoid having windows or skylights in their store, as humans use natural light to tell the passing of time. With it being a consistent brightness the entire time, you spend longer in the store.
    Wonder if there's any truth to that.

    • @alexsaab8089
      @alexsaab8089 6 лет назад +11

      Yeah casinos and Walmarts do that too

    • @andrewputnam2717
      @andrewputnam2717 6 лет назад +6

      Most large stores do that

    • @AlterMannCam
      @AlterMannCam 6 лет назад

      My local Ikea has windows including skylights. I have heard this about casinos though

    • @sirBrouwer
      @sirBrouwer 6 лет назад +1

      they do have windows at the restaurant but most of the places don't but that has more to do with the effect sunlight has on furniture. do keep in mind some of those items have been standing in that store for years and years and they still have to look as new.

    • @dwarftoad
      @dwarftoad 6 лет назад +1

      It's more like they skip it because its not neccesary and would make the building cost more. (Maybe reduce lighting costs slightly but not by too much.) Ikea is all about making things look nice (and generally be good enough quality) with a minimum of costs of all kinds.

  • @xHiNoTorix
    @xHiNoTorix 3 года назад +6

    I remember loving to go to an Ikea when I was younger. In Austria, there are Ikeas everywhere. They had decent 1€ hotdogs which was insane. They also had soft icecream machines. You only had to buy the ice cream cone. You were allowed to use the cone as much as you want to get free ice cream.

  • @YoshMaster
    @YoshMaster 6 лет назад +9

    I looooove IKEA, for the last 12 years I’ve lived in an apartment, I’ve always had like 90% of my stuff from there. The price is the first reason, the second is the look, I love modern stuff, clean, simple. I now have to agree that the experience of going to an IKEA is now a 3rd reason. I love getting some food there, I love walking around, even the smell is awesome. And I usually loathe having to go to ANY other store...

  • @captainbacon3634
    @captainbacon3634 6 лет назад +61

    Do a video on Lego and there close call with bankruptcy. And the rise they’ve had since then to become one of the biggest toy companies today.

    • @chicagobricks1008
      @chicagobricks1008 6 лет назад +1

      HJL30 Captain BACON agreed

    • @jaybird-8311
      @jaybird-8311 6 лет назад +6

      HJL30 Captain BACON there’s a documentary show on Netflix called the toys that made us and has a episode hits all of it

    • @claudiobizama5603
      @claudiobizama5603 6 лет назад +2

      bonkles

    • @litlbrd
      @litlbrd 6 лет назад +1

      DON'T FORGET BONKLES SAVED LEGO

    • @LikaLaruku
      @LikaLaruku 6 лет назад

      I want to hear about how they went from creative buckets to strict kits, & how they got away with ripping off Kiddicraft.

  • @hadarmoshe4977
    @hadarmoshe4977 5 лет назад +6

    As an Ikea worker, I have to say that you've summarized it pretty good!
    BTW- there are shortcuts in every store so... be aware of your surroundings and then find the exit much quicker ;)
    BTW 2-Two of the most frequent questions we are asked are "How the hell do I get out of here?!" / "Where are the toilets?!?" haha

  • @jeffo466
    @jeffo466 6 лет назад +128

    Am I the only one who goes to Ikea for fun? Like I go with no intention of buying anything lol.

    • @Nevir202
      @Nevir202 6 лет назад +10

      Jehf Slaps I was just there two days ago, with my mom and sister who is visiting back to the US from Guam, and we did exactly that. LOL

    • @jonas594
      @jonas594 6 лет назад +2

      Nope do that too but the ikea closest to me is 5 minutes walking distance

    • @zacharymorin5696
      @zacharymorin5696 6 лет назад +3

      Nevir202 Guam is US

    • @altrogeruvah
      @altrogeruvah 6 лет назад +2

      I was there yesterday with my sister and niece, just walking around, seeing the new rooms and items. We go there pretty often, sometimes even to have a cup of coffee.

    • @AmericanNinja85
      @AmericanNinja85 6 лет назад +1

      my wife and I went for fun

  • @MercieSays
    @MercieSays 6 лет назад +6

    When i went to Sweden for a month, I was very curious on Ikeas, since there were none in my country.
    It was truly an experience. I was not going to buy furniture, only some bedsheets, but I loved the food, and other ornaments I was able to bring home.
    Plus its not like any store I actually had some fun getting lost in it.

  • @biswadeepghoshhazra2782
    @biswadeepghoshhazra2782 5 лет назад +17

    Honestly this channel's speaker is one of the nicest behaved ones on YT. Keep going man! Much love from India

  • @scottcook2568
    @scottcook2568 6 лет назад +74

    It is said that one in ten Europeans is conceived in an IKEA bed.

    • @hijack69
      @hijack69 6 лет назад +11

      And 9/10 Europeans have sex on an Ikea bed

    • @JM1993951
      @JM1993951 6 лет назад +5

      And half of those are conceived in-store on a display bed.

    • @hijack69
      @hijack69 6 лет назад +5

      @ger du I guess the correct stat is 6/9 Swedish teens

  • @albertchehade9916
    @albertchehade9916 6 лет назад +74

    It's Swedish humor - regarding the 'not actual size' sign:)
    😅

    • @millimetersofmercury
      @millimetersofmercury 4 года назад +8

      it's American disappointment that there isn't one that size :P

    • @NuggetOG
      @NuggetOG 4 года назад +6

      @@millimetersofmercury only in america would a sweet be that large. they fricking made deep fried water... DEEP FRIED WATER.

    • @millimetersofmercury
      @millimetersofmercury 4 года назад +2

      @@NuggetOG deep fried water is my shit, I've been trying to drink more water

    • @oreo_6206
      @oreo_6206 4 года назад

      @@NuggetOG *deep fried water*
      did you mean:air

    • @NuggetOG
      @NuggetOG 4 года назад +2

      @@oreo_6206 no i meant actual, real water that was deep fried yet not evaporated. americe is doomed
      www.eater.com/2016/6/7/11879680/deep-fried-water-video

  • @oooo__oooo
    @oooo__oooo 4 года назад +39

    Me: Mom, can we have IKEA?
    Mom: We have IKEA at home.
    IKEA at home: SCP-3008

    • @holden_7597
      @holden_7597 4 года назад +1

      The store is now closed.

    • @killerpegasus6586
      @killerpegasus6586 4 года назад +2

      "The store is now close"
      "Please exit the building"

    • @Perririri
      @Perririri 4 года назад +1

      Normie

    • @oooo__oooo
      @oooo__oooo 4 года назад +1

      @@Perririri damn😔

  • @rogerstephenroth8073
    @rogerstephenroth8073 4 года назад +4

    Ikea is by far the greatest furniture store I ever been in my life, their layout is innovative and fun with actual rooms showing the furniture and their swedish food restaurant is delicious. Given the store is so big, it is an experience to go there and buy products that you have to assemble. It is by far one of the best companies Sweden has produced for the world.

  • @briattnybrittany6843
    @briattnybrittany6843 3 года назад +5

    The prices. The *experience* ! There's something so exciting about going to a store and envisioning and feeling like you've found your room. Coupled with the price and limited store locations, going to Ikea is like going to a theme park. It's simply exciting. Plus, the prices get you to buy so many things, even though you know you're going to spend forever putting it together or have trouble getting it in and out of the car lol my whole apt is Ikea. It's super affordable, cute and chic. I can easily spend hours there and not feel like I wasted my time (or money).

  • @JohnAckerman93
    @JohnAckerman93 5 лет назад +2

    When I was in high school, I was involved in a work program my junior year. I worked at IKEA for the work program and absolutely loved it. I go there every once in a while. The customer service is top notch, the things they sell are good quality and the layout is nice. Love going there to see what's new and what I could find to spruce up my house

  • @JisMortal
    @JisMortal 6 лет назад +8

    I went in for a linnmon desk. After my first job I wanted a new desk.. Spent around 700$ in a new room. Bed frame, desk (ended up with bekant instead), drawer, nightstand and some cable management stuff along with drawer liners and a throw blanket.
    I am not disappointed

  • @LannnR
    @LannnR 6 лет назад +48

    Costco: we got pretty big warehouse
    IKEA: hold my beer

    • @TackyFlamingo
      @TackyFlamingo 4 года назад +2

      Hold my meatballs*

    • @sussanalee430
      @sussanalee430 3 года назад

      Costco furniture reminds me of "how many years dark and dreary, do I ponder weak and weary.." and $$$!!! Ikea "funiture" is bright and cheery, useful and merry even at home. Costco could better attempt to "accentuate your positives" with Ikea accessories, to downplay their negatives. I always bypass Costco furniture. Made for old fogey, ready to die in musky and stogey folks. So very un-exciting. Yech! I'm off to the brighter parts of the store - fresh tuna sushi - never found again, steelhead now farmed, pickled herring in sour cream no more, but pickled herring with onions still $4.99 fo'evah! Just like the big fat rotisserie chicken. I tag along with my friends to Idea, er, Ikea, and always find colorful mood enhancing, anti-depressant items, like flashlights, better lamp, cuter towels, couch pillows, and a long green stuffed snake and always da meatballs for home.

  • @malcolmhamilton8090
    @malcolmhamilton8090 5 лет назад +6

    I live in Edmonton AB, and people go on dates to IKEA. It’s a whole day trip kind of thing. It’s never not busy. IKEA is truly something.

    • @litbopeep5726
      @litbopeep5726 5 лет назад +3

      Thats funny you say that. My now fiancé of 3 years took me there on out 2md "date".
      He texted me asking me if Id like to go with him to "run some errands" and get some food, as he needed some things for his new place.
      I obliged & off we went into the most beautiful furniture store id ever been in.
      At that point in life I barely had my 1st apartment & *_all_* my furniture was either hand-me-downs, _Salvation Army_ + _Goodwill_ finds (some cool stuff, but still) or walmart furniture.
      A "good furniture store" to me was *_Target_* and thats where I'd go for a little apartment decoration "splurge" & feel like I was really "treating" myself & "living the high life" lol.
      I Never even knew what _Ikea_ was exactly. (for some reason I thought it was a random ass _Big Lots_ type place that sold swedish meatballs?)
      So when I walked into that Ikea I was blown away.
      He really liked the look of my place (just cause i bought cheap dont mean i didnt know how to D.I.Y that hoe from shit to a showroom.)
      So gave me his list and asked me to pick out the what i think would look good in his place.
      My boyfriend later told me he took me in there to try and flex his wallet/impress me.
      It worked.
      We (by We I mean He) spent a little over 700 just on small home goods for him alone, plus a new stand for my computer and some really good food.
      We live together now and do go to Ikea still.
      Once we even fucked (really quickly) in one of the more hidden displays.
      Idk. Ikea really is kinda a romantic place.

    • @sodapop2755
      @sodapop2755 3 года назад

      OH!! I live there too!! And i live around 15 minutes away from one, it is GREAT

    • @malcolmhamilton8090
      @malcolmhamilton8090 3 года назад

      @@litbopeep5726 that is the wildest thing anyone has ever replied to a comment of mine with

  • @MicrophonicFool
    @MicrophonicFool 6 лет назад +4

    I know you are focused on the corporate/retail side of things, and that's why we love you so much. Another thing that IKEA has revolutionized is the manufacturing and shipping components. Not within the stores, but the warehouse that builds and delivers the orders globally. There isn't a dude in the whole place; Robots rule. It's already been done on some show like Mega Machines or whatever, but worth a look. The business brilliance does however come from the flat-pack as far as overall concept. Without that concept the whole company would not have flourished.

  • @ferndog1461
    @ferndog1461 5 лет назад +5

    The ultimate desk for a computer was the IKEA's Jerker. Because computer CRT monitors were heavy, the desk was OVER-engineered and , as a result, sturdy. They still pop up on craigslist. Thank you.

  • @Gaurav21ify
    @Gaurav21ify 4 года назад +1

    The way they show the setup of a room, kitchen, hall, or any corner of the house - damn that keeps you locked there like a fantasy and you want that badly. They got some damn good interior designers i have to say. They fit almost anything in a you name it any tiny place and still it does not look messy at all. Mostly i go to see those demo room and house setups. Feels so good

    • @Gaurav21ify
      @Gaurav21ify 4 года назад

      Also, the furniture they make is both by wood and wood powder that is left over from cutting and grinding a wood. That cut cost and makes a good difference in profit

  • @Cbiz210
    @Cbiz210 6 лет назад +4

    Costco comes to mind... cheap food court items. The fact that the customer is forced to assemble the furniture and do the loading of the boxed one's self is analogous of having to buy in bulk and load and box the items being purchased again one's self. Both stores have very loyal followings and while Costco is not as much of a destination, I would still consider it a destination store where three hours can go by in the blink of an eye... Thanks for the content... always packed with informative nuggets! 👍

  • @AttilaSVK
    @AttilaSVK 6 лет назад +9

    I like Scandinavian design, that's why I like Ikea (and that's why I drive a Volvo).

    • @doogleticker5183
      @doogleticker5183 6 лет назад

      I like the blondes...otherwise, I'd go for Irish redheads...

  • @aussiescotsman4145
    @aussiescotsman4145 6 лет назад

    I honestly enjoy assembling it. They make you feel skilled and that you have through hard work built something useful and that you love.

  • @aidensface4131
    @aidensface4131 6 лет назад +53

    Even if it kills me, I'm gonna find that Cinnamon Bun.
    I must have it.

    • @companyman114
      @companyman114  6 лет назад +10

      Good luck. Find an IKEA where the disclaimer is missing and demand it.

    • @LikaLaruku
      @LikaLaruku 6 лет назад

      Have you tried Amazon?

    • @davidfeltheim2501
      @davidfeltheim2501 6 лет назад

      The food isn't too special but it's freaking cheap. They have some damn good swedish-style chocolate too

  • @thatbooklover
    @thatbooklover 5 лет назад +14

    "it's one of those places that tends to be an hoUr away and you have to plan out your trip"
    How many swedish stereotypes do i account for by living in sweden a 20min walk/5 min drive away from the cloest ikea, literally been there 3 times within a month and going there tomorrow again to eat meatballs?

  • @JediRalts
    @JediRalts 4 года назад

    My grandparents are Swedish and for years as a kid they'd take me to this big thing they had every year around Christmas where they had a bunch of specialty food in the restaurant and it was a cool experience. I always used to love just going through the showroom as a kid, and even now, it's a good place to look for new furniture.

  • @SimmaChode
    @SimmaChode 6 лет назад +18

    How about a video about In-N-out and how they've been so successful while never changing the menu for decades.

    • @companyman114
      @companyman114  6 лет назад +7

      Maybe down the line. I've recently talked about fast food and I have another one planned in the near future.

    • @erikbaran7197
      @erikbaran7197 6 лет назад

      Let's see.....there's missionary, doggy, girl on top, reverse cowboy.....oh, just get a copy of the Kama Sutra for the rest.

    • @Matty002
      @Matty002 6 лет назад

      iirc the story is that they focused on keeping the menu small and excelling in what they sold, which worked. compare to many places with large menus but everything is mediocre. and in n out competition like 5 guys do a similar approach

  • @BloodRider1914
    @BloodRider1914 6 лет назад +6

    An experience like no other for sure. It's like walking through a theme park specifically for furniture hungry moms

  • @Jhud69
    @Jhud69 5 лет назад +1

    I love Ikea food. Honestly going to Ikea is almost like going to an amusement park (especially when you're a kid and you get to stay in the play area, which I remember being super fun) and then you get to eat something.

  • @87glassrose
    @87glassrose 5 лет назад +8

    I’m in love with the furniture it’s cheap smartly designed and I prefer to pay less and build it myself. Everything is half the price for similar products in American stores. I could go on and on about the smart designs that I can’t even find something as nice or well thought out in an American store. Also gimmie all the meatballs yum!

  • @a_peridox
    @a_peridox 4 года назад +3

    I went to IKEA for the first time in my life last year. It was a lot of fun.

    • @davismiles2765
      @davismiles2765 2 года назад

      ruclips.net/video/NgNjFgcHhgs/видео.html

  • @ruksharalam173
    @ruksharalam173 4 года назад +1

    I love the idea they promote their home country using lil' bits of grammar, product display and color choices... especially their home cuisine. I think this makes the place more vibrant.

  • @RonZhang
    @RonZhang 5 лет назад +18

    11:05 I guessed that Spotify came from USA

  • @btdga
    @btdga 6 лет назад +9

    I think people associate Sweden with modern design and since they design their own products the Swedish theme helps promote them as well designed. Personally I don't like being manipulated into walking through areas of a store I don't need to go to. There's an IKEA within 30 minutes of me and I've been once in the 10 years or so they've been here. I'm also a woodworker and IKEA doesn't have the greatest reputation for quality furniture among people who know how to make furniture themselves. Its considered disposable, which is fine if you're a college student and only need it to last a year or two before you're going to move and don't want to fool with it. Not so great if you're settled and want something to last a while.

  • @paularobles5441
    @paularobles5441 4 года назад +1

    Ikea is an experience, we don't have ikeas in my country and when I first went to one in the US I was surprised by how pleasant it was! The sections are carefully arranged so you can see how a room would look like, in contrast to other furniture stores where you see an individual piece and constantly have a salesman breathing on your neck. Also, after going through all of ikea you get to the ending and you don't even have to pay to go have lunch and sit down for a while

  • @SenshiSunPower
    @SenshiSunPower 6 лет назад +8

    I think IKEA is a bit more organized than you let on. Areas are not in a random order. The names of items are in certain groups. For example, one type of furniture uses male names. The clean, trend-free look of their products could also help. Oh, by the way, IKEA hacking is also a thing.

  • @hauntedbarbiedoll
    @hauntedbarbiedoll 6 лет назад +9

    The only time I've been to an IKEA, if you ate at the restaurant first, whatever the food bill came too would be taken off the total of your furniture purchase. So if you bought other things at the store, you could've eaten for free in a sense. No clue if that's the standard model or if it was just a cool promotion they were doing.

    • @LizNguyen
      @LizNguyen 6 лет назад +1

      Ria Wilkinson I totally remember doing this when I bought my college furniture. Invited my friend, we got tons of food, and took leftovers inside the IKEA Tupperware with the green lids. Food for days, no shame lol.

    • @suzannediwa5042
      @suzannediwa5042 6 лет назад

      P

  • @Koubles
    @Koubles 5 лет назад +1

    I ordered my first piece of IKEA furniture online this week, got it, and loved it to death. Not only was it perfectly sized just as measured, but it was very stylish and matched my room perfectly. The more and more I look at their company I have completely fallen in love with them.
    You can furnish an entire room with IKEA at the same cost as say a crappy mattress and bed from a regular furniture store, and it looks GOOD, and holds up pretty well. They even have full sets you can use if you want to theme an entire area with the same furniture style. Or if you are feeling creative they have modular furniture too.
    Now knowing what their store experience is like makes me actually want to go shopping for once in my life because the satisfaction of buying pretty nice furniture for cheap, making it yourself, and the countless designs to make sure what you’re getting is something you know you will love (So long as you work for it a little) hands down makes them the best furniture store. Sweden must be proud to have IKEA.

  • @Stormynormy42
    @Stormynormy42 3 года назад +11

    I love how the company name was basically just dude's address 😂

  • @kmvstudios9072
    @kmvstudios9072 4 года назад +4

    One of their newer stores in Milwaukee has shortcuts between sections. It’s more simple then some others, but remember, this is IKEA simple. This is the one I go to, as it’s closest to me

  • @himynameissam
    @himynameissam 4 года назад +1

    Great video and good points. I also think that a bonus of having the restaurant just before you go into the market/warehouse could potentially make you more eager to spend money. People are happy after eating good food, so that could have an affect. They also essentially make the customers the pickers in the warehouse, so there's less warehouse staff required. All really clever stuff.

  • @whatincarnation95
    @whatincarnation95 6 лет назад +60

    Do a video on Walmart's rise. Would be very interesting.

    • @JimmyTurner
      @JimmyTurner 6 лет назад +1

      I thought he did that already

    • @matthewmccullagh6023
      @matthewmccullagh6023 6 лет назад +1

      WAAAAAAALMAAAART

    • @jabber1990
      @jabber1990 6 лет назад +3

      simple, Walmart has bargaining power, and killed their competitors

    • @2cnz969
      @2cnz969 6 лет назад

      Matthew Mccullagh you beat me to it

    • @AnaCristina-dv6qu
      @AnaCristina-dv6qu 6 лет назад

      Company man now has a patreon, put your idea there and it can became true : D

  • @hyalinamusic18
    @hyalinamusic18 6 лет назад +9

    Tbh I only do to Ikea for the food. Their food is freaking awesome!

  • @helloparis1531
    @helloparis1531 5 лет назад +2

    I like IKEA because there aren't any pushy salespeople. I find the experience relaxing to walk through the maze of different themed rooms for inspiration.

  • @8888EIGHTYEIGHT
    @8888EIGHTYEIGHT 6 лет назад +4

    Please never stop making vids!!!

  • @Pulverpojken
    @Pulverpojken 5 лет назад +4

    The issue with IKEA being Swedish is that they've created a complicated ownership scheme that will lead you to several different companies, groups and holdings in several different countries.

  • @OhMyGardenRock
    @OhMyGardenRock Год назад

    I worked at ikea for over 10 years and you are completely right with your reasoning. Actually there are so much more of these neat little tricks they do. For example the yellow bags you grab when entering the store are purposely oversized, so smaller items tend to get lost in there and it feels like you picked up less then you actually did. Also the margins on furniture are quite small which allows them to offer amazing deals to get people coming to the stores. The money makers are all the added items you didn’t know you were buying before haha
    Amazing content thank you man

  • @FlorenceBNice
    @FlorenceBNice 5 лет назад +3

    I love you're videos, they're very interesting. Would you ever consider doing some for Film studios? Like Disney, and Dreamworks? Or even the comic book companies like DC and Marvel?