So Many Chairs So Little Time : A Trip to the World's Biggest IKEA

A very dear architect friend living overseas who I mentioned in my post read the said piece. She flew to Cebu during her short vacation where we spent days reconnecting. It had been seven years since I last saw her and during her visit, she convinced me to give the design career another shot.

This gave birth to a working partnership when an architectural project unexpectedly landed on my lap. Simultaneously, I also got involved in a french bakery project that's opening by the end of the year.

For the first time in a very long time, I found myself perusing stores again for materials and furniture without anxiety. The kid who tiptoed to reach for blueprints on top of the cabinet slowly made its presence felt.

During a recent trip to Manila to look for suppliers and accomplish administrative errands, we landed on IKEA.

While the rest of the world saw the popular Swedish Furniture Brand sitting in every major town or city, it was non-existent in the Philippines until late last year.

On November 24, 2021, the 67,760 square meter furniture showroom opened its long-awaited doors to the public. The world's biggest IKEA is situated at the Mall of Asia in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines. The gigantic mall lies not far from Manila Bay and is close to the International Airport.

From the domestic airport, with my luggage still in the trunk of my sister's car, we made our way to the Mall of Asia.

It was a busy Saturday and the IKEA parking was full to the brim. We were lucky to have found a free car space. We timed our visit around dinner hoping that perhaps shoppers may have made plans elsewhere but boy were we wrong when we saw the incredibly long queue lined up outside the Swedish Restaurant for meatball-hungry customers.

I was fortunate to have visited many IKEA showrooms from different parts of the world, in the UAE, France, Japan and etc. I have grown familiar with and learned most of the names of the furniture by heart.

Like most of you who are well aware of the sequence of the showroom's identity, the branch in Manila followed suit. IKEA is well known for its engaging layout where one is obliged to follow the fixed path design.

According to this article, this psychological principle is called the Gruen Effect or Gruen Transfer. It was coined after an Austrian architect named Victor Gruen who discovered that a barrage of sensations triggers a mindset change.

The layout of the store immerses the customers in the immense sensual and emotional experiences from sight, sounds, smell, and touch brought on by IKEA's well-known in-store displays and vignettes.

These transport the shopper into a delightful overdrive that leads to impulse purchases. Even the sense of taste is stimulated which the food cafeteria is equally responsible for. The enjoyment of food increases the levels of dopamine that inspire the shoppers to spend more.

Perusing the carefully curated setups in the store drew many visitors to fill their shopping bags. These images will explain why.

My Takeaway

I must say even a minimalist will struggle to come out of the store empty-handed, haha. My siblings suddenly left with a cart full of memory pillows linens and accessories. While it took a generous amount of willpower, I still purchased ziplock bags.

I came back several days later to purchase bed sheets for our family use and pillows for a neighbor in our village back in Cebu.

The showroom may currently be the biggest in the world but I didn't notice much difference in terms of scale and size in comparison to other international branches. Perhaps the Gruen effect kept my senses fully occupied even overwhelmed and kept comparison disengaged, but it was certainly a fun experience to go through the maze.

Do you like furniture stores? Are you a regular IKEA shopper? Which items do you usually purchase when you visit or are you immune to the Gruen Effect?

I dare you to visit and leave the store empty-handed. :) If you had done so before, I applaud your strong sense of control and discipline :) Thank you for reading and wishing you a lovely week!

References:
The Gruen Effect: How IKEA's Store Design Makes You Buy More

"I am an old soul who simply loves coffee, who finds joy and beauty in both tangible and the unseen."

@discoveringarni

_{Curiosity and imagination lead to unexpected experiences. Interested in Nature, Places, Roads Less Traveled, Minimalism, Authentic Living, Anything French, and International Cuisine. Feel free to follow her, re-blog, and upvote if you enjoy her content.}