Ahhhhh IKEA.
Ahhhh those sweet, sweet Swedish meatballs.
If you’re the kind of person that drudges through the entire maze that is the megamart only for the meatballs and various other honestly-priced Scandinavian delicacies, you’re not alone. According to the company, 30 percent of its shoppers come to the stores just to eat.
And those people will today be pleased to learn that IKEA is seriously considering opening a range of stand-alone restaurants.
That’s right. No more I’m-Shopping-For-Some-Malm-Tables-And-The-Sweet-Corn-Fritters-Are-Just-A-Bonus.
“We’ve always called the meatballs ‘the best sofa-seller,’” Gerd Diewald, who runs Ikea’s food operations in the US, told Fast Company.
“Because it’s hard to do business with hungry customers. When you feed them, they stay longer, they can talk about their [potential] purchases, and they make a decision without leaving the store. That was the thinking right at the beginning.”
The conglomerate’s food division boasts sales of about $1.6 billion per annum. While that sounds like a lotta meatballs, it’s only a fraction of the business’ overall 2016 revenue of $36.5B.
“The mere fact that we don’t need so many square feet to do a café or a restaurant makes it interesting by itself,” Food Business managing director Michael La Cour said.
“I firmly believe there is potential. I hope in a few years our customers will be saying, ‘Ikea is a great place to eat—and, by the way, they also sell some furniture.’”
The best bit? IKEA’s management are putting a greater emphasis on ensuring they’re using sustainable food sources. They’re also using data-analysis tools to determine how much food to prepare, reducing waste.
IKEA has in the past tested out pop-up cafes in London, Paris and Oslo, meaning there’s a fair chance this revenue-building dream could become a reality.
We don’t have a date just yet, but I reckon if we all wish hard enough, we might be scoffing down $20 family meal deals at our local sooner rather than later.
Source: Fast Company.
Photo: William Van Hecke / Getty.
