In five pages this paper examines how IKEA, the Swedish furniture retailer, tailors its products in accordance with the needs of their customers. Eight sources are cited in the bibliography.
Name of Research Paper File: D0_BWbuyers.rtf
Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
consumers to understand that purchases of virtually any product are not necessarily about the item or service purchased. Of far greater interest to the consumer are the costs, the
utility, and the popularity of any given item . . . but not necessarily in that order. Shopping and consumption have become tied up with far more factors than
need, utility, or amusement. Complicated issues such as sexuality, status, and self-esteem are connected to the purchases of everything from cars to handbags. Regardless of whether or not
an individual finds that sad, an example of moral decay, or a sad commentary on the neediness of Western society . . . it is a fact of modern life
in much of the "developed" world. The Swedish furniture chain IKEA has made it clear that it understands such "issues." With the slogan "affordable solutions for better living" (Internet
source), IKEA appeals to people who understand that functionality has its own form of beauty and style. The company also explains "ours is not a flashy crusade" in its "Unboring
Manifesto" in which it makes it clear that they understand that people "who really needed a more beautiful home werent able to afford it" (Internet source). As IKEA puts it
. . . "Thats boring" (Internet source). But the most interesting point made in the Manifesto is one that is elegant in its simple truth: "Lots of things on our
planet are made for people with lots of money. But when it comes to making things for people with limited resources, very few have ever bothered" (Internet source). In making
such a statement the company establishes something of a camaraderie among company and consumer that essentially says "we know what youre up against and were here to help." That attitude