How IKEA uses the Gruen Effect to get you to buy more

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Hi there - Jen here :)

Shopping can be a feast for the senses — color, light, smells, and even taste put customers into a state of emotional arousal.

But sometimes, that "feast" becomes too much for our brains to handle.

We can impulse buy, lose track of time, or forget why we even started shopping.

🧠 It’s down to a fascinating psychological principle known as the Gruen Effect.

Today you’ll learn:

• What is the Gruen Effect?

• 3 Ways IKEA Uses the Gruen Effect to Get You to Buy More

• How to Apply the Gruen Effect (Without Manipulating Your Buyers)

👉 Before we get started, a quick heads up that I’m offering a FREE WORKSHOP on Friday, October 4th called, “Intro to Psychological Buying Triggers: Emotion.”

I will send replay videos out to everyone who registers for the workshop, so if you can’t make this day/time you can still watch.

You’ll learn:

• The 6 emotional buying triggers that can make you your buyers' #1 choice - every time

• Understand what your customers are feeling now and create a more positive emotional experience using this surprisingly simple framework

• The psychology and behavioral science behind WHY emotions are so powerful for business (and how to use emotion to ethically drive sales)

👉 Click here to sign up for free (seats are limited so grab yours today)

What is the Gruen Effect?

The story of the Gruen Effect is really the story of one man - Victor Gruen, an Austrian architect.

When Gruen relocated to the US in the 1950s, he wanted to transform the car-centric suburbs of post-war America into something more social.

Inspired by the public shopping spaces of Vienna, Austria Gruen created what would eventually become the modern mall.

(Fun fact, Gruen was hired by the Dayton Company - which would later become Target - to build the first mall.)

His designs captivated the senses and the wallets of the American consumer for decades.

But there was a dark side to his designs that Gruen never anticipated…

Right after construction, Gruen started to notice that customers seemed overwhelmed by all the sights, sounds, and smells of the mall.

He also noticed that when you overwhelm customers, they:

❌ Forget what they came in for

❌ Lose track of time

❌ End up buying way more than they intended

Eventually, this change in emotion, mood, and mindset would become known as the Gruen Effect.

And as for Victor Gruen?

He spent the rest of his life trying to distance himself from these types of emotionally manipulative designs. 

3 Examples of the Gruen Effect in Action at IKEA

1. IKEA stores use a "fixed path" design

IKEA showrooms use a “fixed path” layout — there’s a designated road that you must follow, and it guides you through the store in one direction.

In most stores, customers only see about 33% of the merchandise on offer.

But IKEA’s fixed path approach means you stay in the store longer, and you see most of the brand’s products.

By using a fixed path design, IKEA overexposes customers to light, sound, color, texture, and even smell in the store. Once the Gruen Effect takes hold, customers throw things in the cart they never intended to buy, but look attractive at the moment.

2. IKEA’s Seductive Meatballs

In 2017, the company made $2.24 billion from food sales, and are considered the tenth-largest food retailer in the world. But the food at IKEA doesn’t just have an impact on the bottom line.

It also feeds into the Gruen Effect and changes how customers think, feel, and act in the store. IKEA even call their famous Swedish meatballs their “greatest sofa seller.”

Eating and smelling food releases dopamine and can create a state of happiness. That mood shift can affect how much customers spend and what they buy.

3. Bulla-Bulla Merchandising

IKEA's store design is all about simplicity - with one exception. They use a merchandising technique called “bulla bulla” to drive attention and sales.

In bulla bulla, lots of items are jumbled and stacked in large bins to create the impression that there are lots of items available. These low-priced items are intended to be impulse buys and are replaced often to grab customers’ attention.

When people discover something unexpected or new, our brains release dopamine — the same chemical associated with falling in love. That means when you see a bulla bulla full of new, cute, cheap plush toys your brain makes you happy (and overwhelms your brain with new sensations).

The Gruen Effect kicks in, and you’re more likely to throw another item into your cart. Multiply this by millions of visitors, and bulla bulla clearly makes a big difference to IKEA’s bottom line.

How to Apply the Gruen Effect

The Gruen Effect, like most things, can be good in small doses (and lethal in big ones).

While there's no doubt that purposely overwhelming customers so they spend more money is manipulative, you can create an emotionally engaging experience that doesn't cross the line. It’s also easier to avoid the Gruen Effect if you’re aware of its effects.

Start by asking yourself:

• Are we stimulating customers' senses without being overwhelming?

  • Music, for example is an influential emotional tool that is often overlooked in content and retail design. Sure, French music might make people buy more French wine. But regardless of the specifics, it's a useful tool to set an emotional mood for your brand. 

  • Smell, another overlooked design tool, has been proven to influence mood and sales in a store (and not always in a good way). Think about a brand like McDonald's - it has a distinctive smell that can evoke strong responses (depending on who you're talking to). Now think about a brand like Lush - the smell of its soaps, bath bombs, and body washes can lift your spirits and leave you feeling refreshed.

• Are we designing for emotion in our customer experience? Creating a customer journey map is a great first step to designing for emotion in your digital or physical experience. 

Read, Watch, Listen

• A Fascinating Interview with Earl Cox, CSO Emeritus at The Martin Agency: A true “friend of Choice Hacking” Earl’s insights helped the business grow to where it is today. Very sadly, Earl passed away last weekend. His company and council will be sorely missed by myself, the VCU Brandcenter community, and the entire advertising industry. You can read some of his pearls of wisdom in this recent interview I did with him earlier this year. [Read]

Until next time,
Jen