5 Questions Retailers Must Tackle to Attract and Retain Customers

That's why Ikea designs the price tag first, then the product. That's why, for example, its Lillberg chair has the arms the way that it does — so that it can fold into a flat pack. And that's why the cushions are a certain depth, so that chair can fit into a box of a certain dimension and be stacked in a warehouse. Because Ikea has such laser focus, it's managed to grow in an economic downturn to become a worldwide presence.