One thing I started wondering about in Ikea today was the naming scheme of the items for sale, as each one has a unique, foreign name that I've always assumed was some sort of appropriate title in Swedish. I wondered why Ikea didn't just translate the furniture names, so I did some Googling, and found the truth behind the Ikea naming convention system!! :)
Wikipedia:
Pretty interesting, I never knew that there was such a system behind the names. The system is distinct and creative, but it gets completely lost to those who don't speak the language(s). Does keeping true to the naming scheme inhibit the average American's purchasing experience? Could it be easier for a customer searching the giant warehouse, if the item "Dalfred" was labeled "black bar stool?"
When exiting the escalator into the showroom, a classmate remarked to me that Ikea felt "like they weren't in Ohio anymore..." The Ikea store experience is unique (intentionally) to another design culture that's sometimes foreign to ours. Keeping the integrity of Ikea as a Swedish brand in American culture is an issue I imagine Ikea has debated pretty frequently, and is probably one we'll encounter again when considering Ikea experience improvements.
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