This spiel also involves, “No, we can’t give you an exact time you’ll just have to cancel all your plans and become a prisoner in your own home for the day.” 

Which is why we all go to Ikea. 

But the Swedish homewares giant is not without its faults. Here are 10 thoughts you’ll inevitably have as you try to make it through the maze to the market hall. 

1. They have all the furniture, and I can just take it home today! 

Yes, you can ‘take it home today’ but that also means spending the evening in a cold sweat building your own furniture, and the next six months drowning in the cardboard packaging because you missed the hard rubbish collection by one week.

2. Why is everyone here? Don’t people have better things to do? 

Let me be clear: I don’t have better things to do, because I am an expert consumer, but doesn’t everybody else have a proper job? It’s 10am on a Tuesday and the whole of Australia is wandering zombie-like through Ikea. Who’s running things while we’re all trapped in here? 

3. I don’t need a bag, I’m just grabbing a kitchen rail for my utensils and heading straight to the checkout

The ultimate rookie mistake. No one, but no one, just grabs one thing at Ikea. Just accept you’ll end up needing a trolley, a free pencil and a form to keep track of the pickup locations for everything you’ll end up buying. The free tape measure is moot because you didn’t measure that empty corner in your living room before you came. 

4. Those Kallax storage shelves look really practical, I might get some

Spoiler alert: those iconic square storage shelves are not practical. Firstly, they come in very long boxes that do not fit sideways into a sedan. Secondly, if you want to actually store things in them, you’ll have to fork out extra cash to buy 12 storage baskets (which will also require assembly). As the final kicker, anything that goes into the storage baskets will never be seen again because baskets that slide out without drawer runners are hell to use.

5. I think that loft bed is the answer to all of our small-bedroom issues 

In the showroom, loft beds look like the answer to everyone’s medium-density-housing prayers. But when you build them yourself at home, they’re a creaking, swaying house of cards that could expose your inferior construction skills at any moment. 

6. I’m hungry. I might get some meatballs to tide me over

The Ikea food hall sounds perfect for lunch. Until you get in there, slide a tray along the bain marie, spy the scrambled eggs set into a solid cube, and start getting flashbacks to The Shawshank Redemption.  

7. I’ll just take this shortcut through the Market Hall…

This is a trick. There is no ‘shortcut’ through the Market Hall. There is only a labyrinth of cushions, cheap scented candles, novelty watering cans and last-gasp DIY garden gazebos.

8. A paper floor lamp for $19? I want one! 

Trust me, you don’t. Ikea floor lamps come with teeny tiny light bulbs that emit only enough light for a mouse’s slumber party. Plus, the ‘specialty’ lightbulbs are not available at supermarkets, so you’ll be forever condemned to returning to Ikea to buy replacements.

9. I might just grab 10 packets of these cute little serviettes before I head to the checkout

Don’t bother – they have zero absorbency. It’s like wiping your mouth with a piece of waxed paper. 

10. Hang on, was it Aisle 15 Location 5, or Location 15 Aisle 5?

This is the point where you realise you should have: 

a) grabbed one of those forms and written stuff down 

b) picked up that kitchen rail you actually came in here for. 

In any case, you’re so happy to see the exit that you abandon your trolley – sending it wheeling away into Aisle 15 – and make a break for it. Now you just need to remember where you parked the car six hours ago.

The post 10 thoughts we all have while shopping at Ikea appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

On this page:

• What the experts say
• Tips to avoid impulse buying
• The future already here?

What the experts say

“At the mall, the plan is to maximise unplanned purchases – to get people to stay longer and deviate from their plans,” says Charles Areni, professor of marketing at .

Not all researchers believe mall designers are manipulative. But media analyst Douglas Rushkoff argues a number of strategies are being used to create environments that encourage consumers to spend up big. The idea is to disorient the shopper and soften them up for manipulation.

Tips to avoid impulse buying

• Have a plan. Make a list and stick to it.
• Set a budget and stick to it. This may mean you’re forced to make a trade-off if something else attracts your eye.
• Pay cash instead of using your credit card. This makes you more aware that you’re parting with actual dollars.
• Set yourself a time limit, perhaps by planning a later engagement so that you don’t lose track of time and get tired. Studies show that when you’re fatigued you have less self-control and are more likely to buy impulsively.
• Shop at places you know. It takes you longer to shop in an unfamiliar environment.

The tactics

The decompression zone

The first area shoppers encounter when they enter a shopping centre is the decompression zone – those functional entry spaces between the real world outside and the mall world inside. Despite the large amount of foot traffic these areas see, rather than glitzy, in-your-face retailers, it’s the service businesses, such as the post office, banks and beauty salons that inhabit these spaces. Why? Mall designers understand that shoppers need a three- to five-metre buffer zone to adjust to the changes in lighting, temperature and scenery in order to shift into shopping mode and start making decisions about buying.

Channelling customers

Big department stores and supermarkets are at opposite ends of the shopping centre for a reason. These are the – the shops with the power to pull you into the shopping centre. Mall designers ensure you’ll cover lots of ground to get to them, encountering many smaller stores along the way.

“[They’re] not going to design a mall to allow shoppers to get in and out of the anchor stores efficiently – [they] want people to walk around,” says Charles Areni, professor of marketing at Macquarie Graduate School of Management.

– the businesses you’d go to regardless of their location, such as banks or restaurants – also encourage customers to travel extensively around the centre. These shops are generally located in isolated spots or in the outer reaches of the centre.

The strategic placement of also plays a role in funnelling shoppers and encouraging impulse buys. For example, some centres have escalators that force you to walk in a full circle, and hence past all the shops, every time you go up a level. As well as channelling foot traffic, this also turns shoppers into captive audiences for storefront marketing.

Getting lost

If you’re feeling lost, it’s likely the centre hasn’t been designed with what the experts call “intelligibility” in mind. With intelligible designs, what you can see gives you a sense for the larger plan of an area, making it easier to navigate.

Professor Alan Penn from the UK-based Bartlett School of Architecture says architects can, and do, design spaces that put a strain on intelligibility. This usually happens when nothing quite lines up – when walkways, for instance, are angled or off-kilter. The result is disorientation and confusion, which encourages people to wander. “It removes your ability to act with intention,” Penn explained in one of his lectures.

Intentional disorientation is thought to encourage deviation from a plan – a theory known as the Gruen Transfer (after which the is named). The premise is that if people find themselves in a confusing “fantasyland” they’re going to end up spending more money.

IKEA is a prime example. According to Penn, about 60% of purchases at IKEA are unplanned, which he believes is largely due to unintelligible design. The floor plans are maze-like – customers can’t see beyond what’s directly in front of them and have no sense of the bigger picture.

“It’s highly disorienting, yet there’s only one route to follow,” says Penn. By the time you make your way through the average IKEA you’re no longer fully in control and are less likely to question whether you should really be filling your trolley.

Sight, sound and smell

Shopping centre designers also use to trigger certain responses in shoppers. Such tactics can speed us up, slow us down, make us feel safe or anxious, or change our perception of time.

Controlling the environment makes it easier to ensure it’s conducive to shopping – a safe retreat free from outside confusion, weather, noise and smells. With few windows or clocks and a regulated temperature in malls, shoppers can be lulled into a sense of security and lose track of time.

Our perception of time can also be manipulated through scent. A study conducted at the Galeries Lafayette department store in Paris reportedly found that when the centre was unscented, shoppers thought they spent around 45 minutes there when they actually spent 40. But when it was scented, shoppers estimated they had only spent 25 minutes when in fact it was more than an hour. 

Music is another strategy used to slow us down or speed us up. Professor Areni says shoppers walk in time with the tempo of the music, no matter what’s playing. So in malls, music will likely be slow and soft. Playing unfamiliar music has also been shown to make people shop for longer.

ÌÇÐÄVlog hits the shopping centres

ÌÇÐÄVlog visited four shopping centres in greater Sydney and conducted a few basic navigation and timing tests. We found plenty of disorienting design, as well as centres that take shoppers past as many shops as possible.

Westfield Bondi Junction

This big centre is set across two buildings at slight angles to each other, resulting in off-kilter walkways that skew your sense of direction. Not all levels have the same layout, and some street-level entries are set at an odd angle, adding to the disorientation.

• 2 mins, 16 secs – time to get from car to JB Hi-Fi
• 3 mins, 52 secs – time to returns to car from JB Hi-Fi

Broadway Shopping Centre

Rather than disorient shoppers, Broadway makes them walk through the entire centre. Most of the anchor stores are located at the opposite end to the main entrance, and away from travelators and lifts, so you have to walk all the way through the centre.

• 34 – the number of shops you pass walking from Target to Coles. These anchor stores are at the same end of the centre, but Coles is on the ground floor and Target is on level three.
• 6.5 TV ads – the equivalent time stores can market to you while taking three travelators to get to the top of the shopping centre*

Moore Park Supa Centa

A centre which also makes you walk past lots of shops. JB Hi-Fi is on the top level and quite easy to reach – there’s an up escalator straight to it. But it’s much harder to leave – with no down escalator nearby you have to walk to the other end of the centre to get out.

• 4 turns at 90 degrees – the orientation challenge our shopper faced to find Myer from the Woolworths car park.
• 5 TV ads – the equivalent time stores can market to you while travelling by escalator from level five to level one.

Westfield Eastgardens

Misleading signage sent our shopper in circles. Signs to anchor stores at escalators had arrows pointing up, but at the top of the escalators, the arrows pointed down. It took our shopper three minutes to get to Target from Myer, just eight stores away, when following these signs.

• 1 – the number of clocks we saw when visiting the four shopping centres.

The future already here?

Just as online retailers analyse information about shopping habits, some centres now track and analyse shopper foot traffic to find the hot and cold spots in the centre. Centre managers use this information to optimise floor plans, choose tenants and tweak marketing campaigns.

Shoppers’ movements are tracked anonymously through mobile devices. Any smart device using Wi-Fi constantly sends out short pings searching for the Wi-Fi networks around it. These pings send out unique identifiers which can be tracked closely to get an accurate picture of a shopper’s path.

One tracking company, Inhouse Insights, told ÌÇÐÄVlog it operates this technology in shopping centres in Australia, but couldn’t say which ones. While Westfield has said it doesn’t currently track customers, it does have the Wi-Fi infrastructure necessary to do this at three of its centres. And its permits it: “Where devices are able to connect to, or are identifiable by, in-centre infrastructure, [Westfield] may collect data including usage, location and type of device, from those devices.”

A Westfield spokesperson told ÌÇÐÄVlog that in the future “there are obviously a great deal of possibilities in using this technology in a retail environment”.

Anyone wanting to avoid being tracked should turn their Wi-Fi off!

The post Shopping centre design tricks appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

On this page:

• How factory outlets work
• Why we like shopping at factory outlets
• Shopping seduction
• Price comparison
• How to bag a bargain
• Shopping rights at factory outlets

Factory outlet centres have major brands such as Country Road, Villeroy & Boch and Esprit, plus cafés and parking, but best of all their stock’s always “on sale” — some of it at more than 70% off. A major challenge to traditional CBD retailing, factory outlets are a huge success in the US and UK, and very popular in Australia, as more consumers find they can get the brands they want for less.

If you live in a capital city, chances are there’s already a Brand Smart, Harbour Town or DFO shopping centre near you. And if there isn’t, there’s likely to be soon. More and more retailers are tapping into this emerging market, realising it’s a great way to offload stock and raise their profile with a fresh set of consumers.

How factory outlets work

In Australia, major labels such as Bonds use their factory outlet stores to sell last season’s stock at discounted prices. You might also find surplus stock from the current season, samples, discontinued lines or faulty goods at outlet centres. Generally, though, faulty merchandise is rare — and it should always be clearly labelled.

In the US, some factory outlets stock a large range of ‘seconds’ — items with imperfections. Many brands also have stock manufactured especially for their outlet stores, and generally it’s of slightly poorer quality than their standard retail lines.

In Australia, factory outlets don’t sell as much second-grade stock. A few retailers such as Sheridan, Oroton and Nine West manufacture product lines especially for their factory outlet stores — mainly because they don’t have enough discontinued or out-of-season stock to fill their shelves. But they say this ‘made for factory outlet’ stock isn’t necessarily of a lower quality, it’s just not available in their mainstream stores.

Homewares stores at factory outlet centres — Villeroy & Boch and Royal Doulton, for example — stock discontinued lines, but it’s not just lurid or outdated dinner sets that end up there. You can find popular patterns, purely because big retailers like Myer and David Jones have to make room for new designs. The outlet retailers also stock some lines that the big retailers have chosen not to buy in.

Why we like shopping at factory outlets

For many Australians, shopping is a leisure activity and going to one of these centres has become a weekend excursion for the whole family. On Saturdays and Sundays they’re packed — so if crowds are your idea of shopping hell, only attempt factory outlet retail therapy during the week.

You’ll find most factory outlet shopping centres in the suburbs, so chances are you’ll have to invest time and petrol to get to one. Most offer one-stop shopping, stocking everything from sportswear and fashion labels to crockery and electrical appliances, all at a discount of up to 70% or more.

Research shows that, on average, shoppers spend between 30 minutes and two hours and about $70 at a normal shopping centre, compared to three to four hours and $200 to $300 at a factory outlet centre. If you’re from out of town, you might spend as much as $700.

Shoppers make the journey to these centres thinking: “It’s going to be worth my while — I’m going to get a bargain.” This puts them in a good mood, and when you’re in a good mood you’re in the right frame of mind to buy.

Shoppers are likely to have saved up for their shopping trip and gone in with a ‘what to buy’ list. These bargain hunters are primed and ready to spend time browsing — and they need to.

There’s a lot of stock and you have to be prepared to pick through it to find what you want. You may not find an outfit that’s in the pages of the latest Vogue, but you can pick up well-known Australian labels like Oroton, Rodd & Gunn, Jigsaw and Pumpkin Patch at a cut-rate price.

There’s no doubt you can save money at a factory outlet centre, but the low prices can tempt you into buying things you didn’t plan to. And buying more items means you may end up spending more, rather than making savings.

Shopping seduction

Supermarkets are notorious for designing their stores to maximise ‘impulse buys’ or ‘unplanned purchases’. Factory outlet centres also roll out all the retailing tricks to get you in and keep you there — after all, the most important factor in determining how much consumers buy is how long they spend in a shop.

Here are some of the tricks used:

Sale signs

We’ve become psychologically programmed to react to signs in shops — sale signs in particular. But displaying any kind of sign is likely to lure a shopper inside a store as it suggests a ‘shopping event’ may be in progress.

Price points

Consumers also respond to psychologically sensitive price points like $99.99 — and you’ll see plenty of them at factory outlets.

Compulsory browsing

Shopping centres are commonly designed around a 360° pathway so that, unless you double back, you have to walk past every single shop before you reach an exit.

Right is right

Consumers like to touch merchandise, so shops often get better results by laying out the store so that consumers explore it in a counter-clockwise direction. This puts the touching hand, usually the right, closest to the stock. Shoppers have also been found to drift towards, and look to, the right.

The comfort zone

If you’re rummaging through racks for hours, strategically placed couches on the centre thoroughfare can provide some welcome respite — which in turn gives you the energy to keep shopping. You can also use them to offload weary partners and children while the serious business of retail therapy continues.

Fuel stop

Factory outlets want you to refuel quickly and keep shopping. You won’t be settling in for a long, three-course lunch — it’s all quick eats and functional but not-too-comfortable tables and chairs.

Price comparison

So how much can you expect to save? It can be plenty. ÌÇÐÄVlog went shopping at a factory outlet centre, and compared the final price with a mainstream retailer.

We bought an entire outfit for a man (Rodd & Gunn), a woman (Jigsaw) and a child (Pumpkin Patch). The quoted recommended retail price (RRP) is what was displayed on the original label, and is what we would have paid if we’d bought the item at full price, in season, at a mainstream retail store.

The total cost for the three outfits was $880. The recommended retail price was $1538, meaning we saved $658 by shopping at the factory outlet.

How to bag a bargain

Shoppers aren’t simply slaves to the retail planners. We now pride ourselves on seeing through cynical marketing exercises. We do product research on the internet or ask family and friends for advice, and we’re less likely to be brand-loyal than we used to be.

Here are some ways you can fight back against unwise shopping impulses.

Plan ahead

Shopping can cause the brain to release dopamine, the same pleasure pathway activated by food, sex and drugs. That’s why it feels good, and why you need tools to rein you in. Go in with a budget and a list of products you hope to buy and try to stick to it.

Monitor yourself

Be aware of your behaviour — ask yourself why you’re shopping. Is it to make you feel better? Are you shopping for things you need? Are you purely on the hunt for a bargain? Buying for pleasure is fine as long as that’s what you planned to do.

Cooling off

If you’re not sure about a purchase, give yourself some cooling-off time — even if it’s just 10 minutes — and ask yourself (and your shopping partner) if you really need it.

When enough’s enough

Partly because of the dopamine ‘rush’, people can develop a shopping addiction or ‘compulsive buying disorder’, which can lead to serious debt. This needs to be treated like any other behavioural addiction — by seeking professional help.

Shopping rights at factory outlets

Most outlet shops display their returns and exchange policy. These do vary, so they’re worth a read. Some have the same policy as their normal retail shop. Others have a stricter ‘no returns’ policy — but even these stores must comply with the laws that protect consumer rights (see Refunds and returns – your rights for more information).

The basic principles are these:

• Any item you buy must match what’s promised by its label or packaging, otherwise you’re entitled to a refund.
• You’re entitled to a refund for anything that’s faulty or not of ‘merchantable’ quality, unless it’s clearly labelled as a faulty item or ‘second’.
• If you simply change your mind, you aren’t entitled to a refund or exchange. However, some retailers will give you one anyway — it depends on their store policy.

The post Direct factory outlets appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

On this page:

• Cash-for-gold kiosks
• Selling on eBay
• Consider an antique dealer
• Getting a fair price for your jewellery
• Calculating the gold price

Cash-for-gold kiosks

In recent years, kiosks offering cash for gold – some with shiny offers – have opened in shopping centres. But do they give you a fair price?

Armed with a ring and two necklaces, ÌÇÐÄVlog visited 10 jewellers and gold-buying shops in Sydney in 2010, and was offered between 39% and 89% of the gold value for the items. We were quoted between $154 and $300 for the same three items of gold jewellery. Their gold value was about $400, so the highest price we obtained is roughly comparable, although obviously nowhere near the retail value, which at $1900 is significantly higher, as it includes workmanship and a retail margin.

We found jewellers in the CBD usually offered the best price, especially when we negotiated, whereas two of the cash-for-gold kiosks in shopping centres were a rip-off.

Selling on eBay

Our sister organisation in the UK, , tried their luck at selling unwanted gold jewellery on eBay and found prices were far more competitive than those offered by either TV-advertised or high street gold buyers. Which? sold a batch of gold bangles, bracelets and necklaces on eBay and got five times more than the price offered by the TV-advertised gold buyers. The £215 gold bracelet, for example, sold for £69 on eBay. TV-advertised gold buyers had offered Which? just £12 and high street jewellers, £46, for the same piece. So, it pays to investigate selling your jewellery online.

Consider an antique dealer

Shops buying gold usually have no interest in the brand, style or design of an item – or what you originally paid for it – as they’re only going to melt it down. For old, intact jewellery, try an antique dealer.

Getting a fair price for your jewellery

• Weigh the items on a kitchen scale to get the approximate weight, check the gold price and calculate what they are worth.
• Aim to get at least 70–80% of the gold value.
• Try at least three different outlets. Ring them first and ask how much they pay. Look for jewellers and specialist gold-buying businesses or pawnshops.
• Go to at least three different gold-buying businesses armed with your quotes and be prepared to ask for a better deal. Don’t be shy, as competition is strong and many shop owners will negotiate. Don’t be pressured to sell on the spot; walk away if you’re not sure.
• You’ll usually get better prices for heavier items (or bundle of items) and have more room to negotiate.
• Be careful if you have any items with gemstones such as diamonds, as few gold shops pay prices to reflect their value – most pay only for the gold content. Ask the shops if and what they pay for any diamonds or other gemstones of value. Alternatively, go to a reputable jeweller and ask them to take out the stones.
• If you’re going to a gold party hosted by a friend, only part with your gold if they offer you a good price. You may not be able to negotiate as much at a gold party, as your host will get a commission.
• Call and talk to a real person first before selling your gold online. Make sure you get a quote beforehand or that your jewellery will be returned without charge if the offer is too low.

Calculating the gold price

The growing prevalence of gold-buying shops coincides with a dramatic increase in the price of gold over the past decade – it has trebled from $US435 per ounce in 2004 to $US1305 in 2014.

You can check current gold prices at  by clicking on “Gold”. Click on the Australian flag to see the price per kg of gold in $AUD (on top of the graph for 24-hour gold price). You’ll need to know the type of gold the jewellery is made from; most times you can see a stamp on the item.

A “375” stamp, for example, means 9-carat gold, which is 37.5% gold, so divide the gold price by 100 and multiply it by 37.5 to get the price for 1kg of 9-carat gold, then divide this by 1000 to get the price per gram:

• 9 carat – stamp 375, 37.5% gold content
• 18 carat – stamp 750, 75% gold content
• 22 carat – stamp 916, 91.6% gold content.

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