What: Ikea tried to go away from the “maze” store design as the new units are smaller than the historical big box stores.

Why it is important: customers asked to have the full experience, including the serendipity of finding the unexpected, and want the maze back.

IKEA's traditional maze-like store layout, which guides shoppers through various sections, has proven to be popular and effective. Despite attempts to create more open and flexible layouts to cater to casual shoppers or officegoers, customers have expressed a preference for the guided shopping experience. They appreciate the path through the store, as it reminds them of products they may have forgotten they needed. This layout has been a key element of IKEA's success, creating a sense of discovery and encouraging shoppers to explore the entire store. IKEA continues to experiment with different store formats to adapt to changing consumer preferences, including smaller stores and dedicated plan-and-order locations.

Ikea has to recomplexify their stores by popular demand