Update! I totally fell for IKEA’s clever April Fool’s joke. But in all honesty, it’s a fabulous concept for a store, don’t you think?
IKEA’s bold new plan for a straight-line, two-kilometer store promises the impossible: an IKEA you literally cannot get lost in.
The Swedish furniture giant, famous for its labyrinthine layouts that transform quick shopping trips into epic journeys, is completely reimagining the in-store experience.
This revolutionary concept will allow shoppers to see the exit from the moment they enter—ending decades of wandering through showrooms wondering if they’ll ever see daylight again.
But will this architectural redesign preserve the magic of IKEA shopping or will it spell the end of those accidental three-hour journeys that somehow always end with you buying a FÅRGRIK mug in a color you didn’t know you needed?
The End of the IKEA Labyrinth?
I’ve never had to resort to Google Maps to find my way around IKEA, but apparently, this has been happening.
“We have noticed that more and more visitors of our stores resort to GPS on their phones to find their way around,” says Tolga Öncü, IKEA Retail’s COO. “This was, of course, a concern for us, as they spent more time looking at their phones than at our products. So, our solution is to build a store that is impossible to get lost in.”
But isn’t getting lost part of the fun of IKEA shopping?
Biggest Change In IKEA Store Concept
The planned store is going to be one straight shot – a linear store with only one floor. You enter at one end and can literally see the exit two kilometers away at the other end. No more anxiety about whether you’re going the right way.
They’re also adding a hop-on, hop-off travelator to shuttle you through the massive space. Because let’s be honest, sometimes our shopping stamina doesn’t match our shopping ambitions.
The famous Swedish meatballs aren’t going anywhere, either. The food court will sit right in the middle of the store, with a “fast lane” travelator for those times when you’re just there for the meatballs and lingonberry sauce (no judgment here – we’ve all made special trips just for the food).
Still Feels Like IKEA
Don’t worry – they’re keeping some classic IKEA elements. There still won’t be any windows, because apparently time and natural light have no place in the IKEA experience.
Öncü reassures us: “We don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. We want it to still be a recognizable IKEA experience.”
What finally pushed IKEA to make this change? Apparently, security staff at one store found a lost customer after closing time who had climbed into a basket of squishy toy snakes in confusion and been unable to get out.
The release made no mention of when or where this new IKEA concept store will take place. So while we eagerly await more details about where we might experience this revolutionary shopping format, we’ll have to continue navigating the familiar blue and yellow labyrinths for now.
IKEA Hacker’s Guide to Surviving the Maze (Until the Linear Store Arrives)
Until this straight-path IKEA becomes reality, here are some tried-and-true IKEA Hacker survival tips for navigating the current IKEA Store Maze.
1. Get the showroom floor plan: Before embarking on your IKEA journey, pause at the entrance and locate the store guide displaying the showroom floor plan. Snap a quick photo with your phone and “favorite” it so you can pull it up quickly. The photo lets you identify shortcuts and plan the most efficient route to the sections you came for. While most IKEA stores follow a similar concept, each location has its own unique layout quirks, so always make this your first stop if you’re unfamiliar with the store.
2. Shop Backwards: Some veteran IKEA hackers swear by entering through the exit and working backwards. You’ll avoid crowds and can head straight to the Marketplace for those small items.
3. Write Down Item Locations: As you browse the showroom, note the aisle and bin numbers of items you want to purchase to save yourself from wandering aimlessly in the warehouse section.
4. Use the IKEA App: The app can help you find products in the store, simply by scanning the barcode or article number
5. Eat First: A rookie mistake is shopping on an empty stomach. Fuel up at the restaurant before beginning your journey – decision fatigue is real, especially when deciding between 17 types of drawer pulls.
6. Monday Mornings: If possible, shop early on weekday mornings when the store is at its emptiest and you can zip through without navigating huge crowds and long queues.
7. The Cut-Through Special: In many stores, there’s a central cut-through about halfway through the showroom that lets you skip to the marketplace if you’re not interested in certain sections.
So, fellow IKEA fan, what do you think about this straight-line approach? Will you miss the adventure of the maze, or are you ready for a more direct IKEA experience? Let us know in the comments.