Any visitor to an IKEA store knows the feeling.
You went in knowing exactly what you wanted. Now you’ve devoured a serving of the meatballs, and you’re on a one-way-trip, stuck on what feels like the world’s longest route to get there.
You resign yourself to the trip, grab the shopping cart you swore you wouldn’t need, and wind up at the checkout counter wondering again how you’ve filled it.
We all know it’s part of IKEA’s grand plan to take you through the whole store — but why do so few people opt for a shortcut — aside from the fact it takes a bit of savvy (and a few previous visits) to find them?
Because IKEA’s sneaky store layout relies on a combination of mystery and the knowledge that humans have a herd mentality.
IKEA knows most shoppers stuck on a clearly posted one-way-shopping train will go with the flow, not against the herd, especially if there are surprises around every corner.
The added genius is that IKEA walks a customer past its whole catalog of things you never knew you needed. It also knows you’re likely to grab that impulse purchase when you see it, rather than risk another lap around the store, or try going against the flow to go back to it later.
So you grab the item you don’t need because what if it’s gone when you decide you want it later?
It’s like a game of hide-and-seek — and around each “corner” or doorway, you enter a new level.
It’s the same premise that makes video games so addictive — progress to the next level (winning) — or take a shortcut to get to your ultimate prize first — but who knows what you might have missed?
Before you know it, it’s game over, credit card. And on to “flat pack” level “genius.”