Within the scope of the course "The store", the visit aimed to give students an understanding of the mechanisms behind a large store. Ikea's staff was forthcoming and friendly, and made every effort to give our students a fair view of the company. Among other things, the students were given an account of how Ikea uses hotspots to present their range of products but also to create an experience for the customer on their way through the store.
After listening to the company presentation and taking the grand tour, the students were assigned individual tasks which required their own observations to be made on site. Subjects included customers engagement, the buying process and the service encounter.
Opened a few years ago, the Ikea museum is situated in the old store building in Älmhult. During their visit students were able to compare and contrast Ikea proper with the small museum store.