IKEA, Sweden’s Jewel
• Stock efficiently. It’s company policy to ensure that each item in the IKEA catalog is in every store. Out-of-stock SKUs make customers cranky, and back orders are expensive. How precise is your inventory control?
• Keep the ordering process for customers simple. The IKEA order form is positively rudimentary. “The order form should be so simple that an idiot can understand it,” writes freelancer Malcolm Decker. What makes IKEA’s so simple is it contains no tiny type or complex chart of shipping charges. Instead, customers give IKEA their phone numbers, and reps call to confirm orders, shipping charges and taxes. While IKEA executives admit it’s challenging to call every customer, they note that it also is a nice thing to do and offers the opportunity for an upsell. Worth a test in your catalog operation?
Denny Hatch is the author of six books on marketing and four novels, and is a direct marketing writer, designer and consultant. His latest book is “Write Everything Right!” Visit him at dennyhatch.com.
