Ikea has been called the "invisible designer of domestic life" for the way it's revolutionized home furnishing around the world — in 48 countries, at last count.
But in the US, the Swedish company has discovered that customers aren't just coming in for home furnishings.
As Sarah Halzack reports for the Washington Post, Ikea saw its food division (think restaurant offerings as well as
packaged foods like chocolate or sacues) enjoy an 8% increase in sales in the last fiscal year, almost doubling the overall 4.5% increase that the stores in America saw in the same time period.
(Behold the #ikeafood hashtag on Instagram for further evidence).
So Ikea, whose innovations range from moveable walls to 3D-knitted chairs to lamps that will charge your phone, is doubling down on its food business by turning its food courts into three distinct eateries.
Halzack reports that there will be:
- A quick meal area with high tables and bar stools.
- A family-friendly area with games for kids.
- A cafe area with comfy couches called "fika," a Swedish word for coffee break where you grab a coffee, a pastry, and a conversation, with no devices involved.
The revamping, which will reportedly happen across all 41 of Ikea's US stores, will roll out over 2016.
It comes after last year's introduction of vegan meatballs and a recent pledge to make a more "circular Ikea" where customers more readily repair and recycle products.