Last week, I visited the IKEA Plan and order point location in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. I left with a few ideas I wanted to share in case anyone over at IKEA is interested (nobody asked). I also want to demonstrate a few relevant use cases for immersive technology and capturing behavioural data to fuel business innovation. 

A "too long; didn't read" summary for those who want the header notes:

1. IKEA has an opportunity to deliver an unrivalled, differentiated, immersive experience in their Plan and order point and Design studio spaces.
2. I provide 4.5 ideas on how they can incorporate virtual reality (VR) and augmented (AR) capabilities to deliver kick-a$$ experiences. 
3. Ignore the "metaverse is the future" noise! Instead, today, leverage VR and AR to capture immersive data that digs deeper than traditional research data and use it to innovate, differentiate and grow. 

As I was saying, I visited an IKEA Plan and order point location last week. If you're not familiar with this, here is an explanation straight from IKEA:

"The IKEA Plan and order points offers a personalized service designed to make your home furnishing dreams a reality. At a Plan and order points, our planning experts are there to help you navigate complex home projects like kitchen design, bedroom projects, small space living solutions and more. Simply schedule an appointment, plan and order your solutions with the help of an IKEA specialist, and then have the products shipped directly to your home or nearby pick-up location. There are no IKEA products or food available for immediate takeaway at the Plan and order points. Returns and exchanges are not available at the Plan and order points. Spare parts are not available at Plan and order points."

Shopping in a traditional big box IKEA store has similar hypnotic, reckless spending-inducing effects as Costco. You enter the building for specific items and end up leaving with more things you didn't know existed, a bag of "Swedish" meatballs, possibly a $0.75 hotdog in hand, and wondering if you have enough money left to pay your bills. But we all love it!

In contrast, the IKEA Plan and order point store allows you to focus. You can't buy products there or return or exchange any products. Instead, you are simply there to design your personal spaces, either independently or with the assistance of an IKEA specialist. Or both. When you are done, you order all your items online, and they are delivered to you. 

You leave the store empty-handed with a sense of accomplishment. 

From my consumer perspective, the store concept and experience are very effective, there are fewer distractions, and you can focus more on designing the layout of your space(s) of choice. 

From my business/user experience/competitive - "be extraordinary" perspective... IKEA, you have an opportunity to do so much more. You have the resources and budget to create an immersive shopping experience rivalled by absolutely nobody (in Canada, at the very least). 

Here's a voluntary list of immersive experiences IKEA should consider implementing today:

1) Add VR viewing capabilities and headsets to your Planning Stations 

It is nice to enable consumers to create 3D mockups and view their soon-to-be IKEA swagged-out spaces on 32" monitors. Taking a step further, leverage VR to immerse consumers in their vision. In 2021, Scientists did a study using VR and found that when things look and feel natural and you can interact with them, people want to buy them more. 

2) Make IKEA consumer generated-designs available on VR platforms 

Today, consumers can save their IKEA designs and view them on their accounts from mobile and computer devices. IKEA should consider enabling consumers to access their designs on their personal VR headsets via popular platforms such as Android, Google, Microsoft, PlayStation, etc. According to Statista, approximately 34 million VR headsets will be sold worldwide. Similar to the previous point, enabling consumers to be immersed in their potential new space while in their current personal room is extraordinary! 

3) Add an empty canvas augmented reality showroom in your locations 

Some people don't like wearing VR headsets. Create an open white space (e.g. 15' x 15') and use AR technology and headsets to allow consumers to see their designs overlayed in the physical white space. 66% of consumers are interested in using AR for help when making purchasing decisions. What's more, it's unique!

4) Update and promote your Places app  

The Places augmented reality app is a great tool. However, I see a limited amount of promotion around this. Why? It may have been launched ahead of its time in 2017. Second, I tested and enjoyed using the app myself. However, it functions like a minimum viable product (MVP) that was launched and abandoned. I'd like to see IKEA revisit this now that immersive technology is more established. In 2021, Business Insider believed the number of AR users in the US would jump to 95.1 million - adoption is growing fast.

Imagine this. A consumer in an in-store decorated bedroom opens the Places app on their mobile device or an IKEA-supplied tablet and virtually replaces the physical SKAFTET lamp with a KRYSSMAST lamp they found on the website (and not displayed in the store). They can save the picture, send it to a friend for feedback, and buy it all from the app. The result? Network effects! 

1/2) Add larger monitors to your planning spaces 

I call this a lo-fi immersive tech; hence, it only receives 1/2 a point. The monitors in the Kitchener location are roughly 28" - 32" (I didn't think to reach for an IKEA paper tape measure). The touchscreen features are great, but go bigger! Large 50" - 75" touchscreen displays should be mounted on these stations. Consumers are designing physical spaces; the more significant the displays, the more engaging. 

Why? What are the benefits?

Similar to my previous post, I will pick on Meta and Mark Zuckerberg a bit. The commentary on the #metaverse and its future can be daunting. So let's forget that noise for now. Don't think of this as a gimmick or a fad.

Immersive technology delivers engaging experiences; however, equally important is its ability to capture a lot of data. A few examples include the following: 

• Consumer behaviours (eye movements and gaze, attention, body movements
• Qualitative feedback (audio speech capture)
• Content and product interactions 
• Engagement levels 
• Number of orders and sales

There are many more possibilities. However, what is undeniable is that the robust data captured will deliver invaluable insights that can achieve improved customer experiences, increased sales, and attract more customers.

IKEA is a top-tier brand with a very effective customer and shopping experience. However, after visiting their Place and order point location, I'm convinced immersive technologies like VR and AR would further enhance valuable experiences that benefit consumers and their bottom line. 

Food for thought. 

Written by Emile McLean

Additional notes: 

• Some may wonder, "how would they keep the VR and AR headsets clean?" Easy! Maintaining clean and healthy standards is possible (example). It entails implementing consistent, systematic processes that take some personnel change management and training, but this is manageable. 
• Follow SilicoLabs - Capture Behaviour to learn more about using interactive 3D, VR and AR experiences to capture human and AI behaviour.

#immersivetechnology #virtualreality #augmentedreality #data #ikea #userexperience