IKEA was founded in 1943 by a Swedish businessperson Ingvar Kamprad when he was 17 yrs. old. The name of IKEA is derived from the original of its founder name Ingvar Kamprad, the plantation Elmtaryd and home country Agunnardy where Ingvar Kamprad was raised. IKEA has developed quickly and known as the largest home furnishing store (INTI). The corporate structure mainly split into two parts that happen to be procedure and franchising. Procedure covered the management of majority stores, design, purchasing, source functions and manufacture of furniture, which manage by an exclusive earnings Dutch company, INGKA Positioning. In 1982, Kamprad proven Stichting Ingka Foundation, a non-profit basis that control over INGKA Keeping. Ingka Basis chaired by Kamprad and five executive committees which included her better half. The IKEA brand and concept is held by separate Dutch firm, Inter IKEA Systems based in Luxembourg. Every IKEA stores pay 3% of sales to Inter IKEA as a franchise fees. IKEA consumers are mainly sent out into four different geographic locations, Europe, America, Midsection East and Asia. The eyesight of IKEA is to provide affordable alternatives for better living and its mission declaration is to provide good deal furniture with stylish functional designs which everyone could afford.
2. 2 Company Product and Services
IKEA seized merchant chain that provides flat pack furniture, kitchen and bathroom accessories across the world. The furniture designed to be self put together in order to lessen travelling cost. Besides, the company include traditional Swedish food restaurant in their stores, which offering Swedish meatballs, smoked salmon, lingo berry tarts and cream source. In addition, thoughtful part of IKEA is many stores have play area for children known as Smaland, where parents able to drop their children to playground while shopping and decide on them up at another entrance.
2. 3 Corporate and business and Current Business Strategies
Globalization is the current trend for most of the companies nowadays. To get market share in new entrance countries especially Asia, IKEA corporate and business strategies determine its sustainability and competitive gain among opponents in future. For example, IKEA globalization strategy in Asia country, China, comprise of joint venture, localization and costs strategies. First of all, IKEA jv with local companies in China, due to 1 of the macro-environmental impact which was political insurance plan of Chinese authorities to be able to archive principal of equality and common benefits (INTI). Second, IKEA modify localization strategy to suit local Chinese language culture, for example, IKEA provide balcony section anticipated to almost all of the Chinese human population stay in apartment (INTI). Lastly, prices strategy allow IKEA to compete against competitors, for example, IKEA minimize cost for some goods like single-scat Ektorp armchair below standard price which is cheaper than it bought from USA. IKEA distinctive business and corporate and business level strategy have allowed the company attains impressive growth
2. 5 Current Strengths and Advantages
The major power and driving make that press IKEA expands aggressively is the value chain. Value chain is a tool used to recognize value added into an enterprise. Porter illustrates business value chain categories into two activities. The primary activities are straight related to creating and providing products, while supplementary activities are not directly involved with development process but could increase efficiency and performance of business. IKEA changed the value string to mobilize suppliers and customers assist in further add value to the system by convincing their customer perform the transportation and assemblage their flat load up products. ()
Chapter 3
Main Body
3. 1 Analysis on IKEA Distinctive Competencies and Competitive Advantages
A strategic position is the facial skin of an business strategy, it determine the business image seen by its stakeholders and competitors. Overtime, IKEA built distinctive competencies in contrivance tactical avenue to help placement and guaranteeing the quality value of brand image in customers mind. A few of these distinctive competencies are technology, experience, quality, value, psychological and self expressive benefits.
Customers view IKEA products as a means of innovative. Although, IKEA has long background backdrop, yet they continually produced stylish design products to suit changing of customers expectations. Despite of it, customers view IKEA brand as an experience. The store usually design in one way lay out where customers almost see everything before leave where the a key point is IKEA provide facilities to cater children while parents shopping. That condition mentality of shopping in IKEA is a soothing outing rather than a task.
IKEA base onto it concept to provide wide range of home furnishing products that is good in quality, practical, value for it price and strength at low process to enable majority of men and women afford them. For instance, IKEA hired some impartial quality auditing agencies operating in vicinity of the supplier to perform quality check up on product made (supply string) and used subsidiary manufacture Swedwood to create goods which it could not find ideal suppliers to archive affordable and invite its products value for it price as an edge over its competition.
In the mentality of customers, IKEA brand derive emotional and self expressive benefits. Today, IKEA is more than a furniture merchant. By creative concept of do-it-yourself DIY executed, customers able to express their personality to enhance it desire home. Several different mental and self expressive benefits confirmed by customer in the market feedback. For instance, IKEA makes me absolve to become what I want to be. And also half my home is from IKEA and the nearest store is six hours away.
In order to archive competitive advantages among competitors, IKEA followed Porters generic strategies that allow companies to differentiate their products by offering low cost with better value ( Porter 1985).
