This paper investigates price-setting for truly homogenous products sold in markets without any formal trade barriers. We use data from IKEA, a furniture company selling identical products in an identical shopping environment in different EU countries. We get four remarkable outcomes: 1) The law...

I estimate the causal effect of increasing displayed product ratings by a half star on Wayfair.com to be a five percent increase in demand for products. This increase is driven by an increase in sales, not a change in price. Products with more ratings or that are sold by lesser known brands see...

This case study examines the governance role played by the Interogo Foundation as the owner of the Inter IKEA Group (the owner and franchisor of the Ikea concept) and its other subsidiaries. The IKEA businesses are the largest home furnishing operation in the world. In total, the various...

The rapid changes caused by growing complexity, accelerating technological innovation and globalisation, have driven companies to play a precise economicsocial role. Hypercompetition implies a substantial change in a company’s strategic objectives: every advantage gained over the rivals is...

What makes Ikea sofas similar to H&M trousers? Clothing and furniture retail are increasingly aligned, as both follow fashion trends and seasonal change. Because of the transience that shifting trends imply, clothing is often read as a signifier of superficial or frivolous expression, masking...

Comment opère l'irrésistible attraction d'IKEA. Le slogan, à l'entrée des gigantesques hangars de tôle jaune et bleu, se veut plein de promesses : "IKEA, bien plus qu'un marchand de meubles". Mais comment nommer, délimiter, appréhender ce monde que dessine la marque ? Quelles valeurs...

This study investigates the congruence between consumer personalities and product images based on the self-congruity perspective. In addition, consumer personality-product image congruence was examined to determine its influences on consumer product preference. Data were obtained from 335...

The capital budgeting decision is one of the most important financial decisions in business firms. In this case, Variety Enterprises Corporation (VEC) is considering whether to invest in a new production system. To determine if the project is profitable, VEC must first determine the weighted...

Many International Economics textbooks report that companies investing abroad without any preliminary market analysis are a lot more than expected. In fact, all business organizations with an interest in internationalization should first take into consideration a range of variables, including...

The global supplier network is becoming an increasingly important asset for many firms. If successfully managed, supplier relationships may support the firm's strategic orientation and become a sustainable advantage on the global market. A key question is thus how the firm can develop and...

Cover -- Title Page -- Contents -- List of Illustrations -- Acknowledgments -- 1 Configuring Ikea -- 2 Once Upon A Time -- 3 Swedish Stories and Design -- 4 Sweden Designed by Ikea -- 5 Counter-Narratives -- 6 Democracy for Sale -- References -- Index -- Copyright -- Plate Section.