Toronto's IKEA Play Café is an Immersive Retail Experience
Ellen Smith — June 22, 2017 — Business
References: insidetoronto & indie88
Furniture industry titan IKEA brought its Sweedish charm to Toronto's Queen Street West in the form of IKEA Play Café, an immersive pop-up shop experience.
Similar to its retail stores, the pop-up shop rests on IKEA's three pillars: shop, play and eat. Guests are invited to browse through the largely food and cooking-centered retail store, while challenging their taste buds at the small eatery which sells some of IKEA's iconic foods, like their meat balls and frozen yogurt. Guests are welcome to immerse themselves in the IKEA experience with a variety of games including over-sized Pin-Ball, electronic dance battles, an illuminated wall modified with children's drink ware and a spinning wheel, which offers contestants chocolates and gift cards.
The IKEA Play Café, which aimed to start conversations through defying conventions, acts more like an immersive experience than a showroom, reminding guests of IKEA's core values and consumer commitment while providing a memorable, gamified retail experience.
Similar to its retail stores, the pop-up shop rests on IKEA's three pillars: shop, play and eat. Guests are invited to browse through the largely food and cooking-centered retail store, while challenging their taste buds at the small eatery which sells some of IKEA's iconic foods, like their meat balls and frozen yogurt. Guests are welcome to immerse themselves in the IKEA experience with a variety of games including over-sized Pin-Ball, electronic dance battles, an illuminated wall modified with children's drink ware and a spinning wheel, which offers contestants chocolates and gift cards.
The IKEA Play Café, which aimed to start conversations through defying conventions, acts more like an immersive experience than a showroom, reminding guests of IKEA's core values and consumer commitment while providing a memorable, gamified retail experience.
Trend Themes
1. Immersive Retail Experience - Opportunity for brands to create interactive, gamified retail spaces that provide a memorable shopping experience beyond just selling products.
2. Pop-up Shop Trend - Rising trend of brands utilizing pop-up shops to test new markets and expand their customer base in a more cost-effective way.
3. In-store Food and Beverage Offerings - Growing trend of retailers integrating food and beverage offerings into the shopping experience to provide additional value and a more immersive experience.
Industry Implications
1. Furniture - Furniture retailers can use pop-up shops to expand their market reach and create gamified retail spaces that showcase their products while providing a memorable and interactive experience.
2. Retail - Retailers across industries can utilize the pop-up shop trend to test new markets and create immersive retail experiences that go beyond traditional brick-and-mortar shopping.
3. Food and Beverage - Food and beverage brands can partner with retailers to offer their products in-store and create unique dining experiences that complement the shopping experience.
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