Affordability in business refers to providing value to customers at a fair price, encompassing quality, utility, and customer experience. For instance, the new pricing strategy of IKEA for its TESAMMANS collection and Happy Days Deals offer diverse products at affordable prices without compromising quality. This ensures that customers perceive the price they pay as reasonable and justifiable.

 


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The problem is that businesses frequently equate affordability with low prices, disregarding the broader concept of value. This overlooks crucial factors such as quality and customer satisfaction. By comprehending affordability beyond price tags, businesses can align their strategies with customer preferences, fostering long-term success in the market while delivering value that transcends mere price considerations.

 

In this article, we are going to discuss what it truly means to offer affordable products and services. First, we present the concept of affordability beyond just low prices. Then, we delve into the pricing strategy of IKEA and how it prioritises value and customer satisfaction in their pricing strategies. We argue that affordability encompasses factors like quality, utility, and overall customer experience.

 

At Taylor Wells, we believe that businesses that understand affordability in this broader context can better meet customer needs and drive long-term success. By the end, you will know how to redefine affordability and provide value to your customers effectively.

 

 

Recent IKEA Pricing and Marketing Strategy Gives More Meaning to Affordable Price

 

IKEA’s recent launch of the TESAMMANS collection underscores its commitment to affordability, offering a diverse range of products at accessible price points. This collection spans furniture, decorations, and textiles, providing options to suit various customer preferences and budgets. For instance, glassware in the collection starts as low as $3, while rugs are priced at a maximum of $299, ensuring affordability across product categories.

 

By introducing the TESAMMANS collection, IKEA demonstrates its overarching affordability-centric strategy, catering to a wide demographic of consumers seeking quality products at reasonable prices. The affordability price band for the collection reflects IKEA’s dedication to providing value, with most items priced below $50 and nothing surpassing $300. This ensures that customers can find products that fit within their budget constraints without compromising on quality or style.

 

Furthermore, IKEA emphasises the significance of customer experience in its new collection’s pricing strategy.

 

Beyond simply selling products, IKEA aims to enhance the overall shopping experience for its customers. For example, the Happy Days Deals initiative offers half-priced meals every Friday exclusively to IKEA Family members, further enhancing the value proposition for customers.

 

 

The integration of Happy Days Deals into IKEA’s pricing strategy exemplifies its holistic approach to affordability and customer satisfaction. By providing additional incentives and perks, IKEA creates a more enjoyable and rewarding shopping experience for its customers. This, in turn, enhances customer loyalty and encourages repeat visits, ultimately contributing to the company’s bottom line.

 

Overall, IKEA’s emphasis on affordability and customer experience reflects its strategic vision to remain competitive in the ever-evolving retail landscape. By continuously innovating and adapting its pricing strategies to meet customer needs, IKEA solidifies its position as a leader in the market while ensuring that customers receive value beyond mere product offerings. Through initiatives like the TESAMMANS collection and Happy Days Deals, IKEA continues to set the standard for affordability and customer satisfaction in the retail industry.

 

Lessons from the Customer-Centric Product Pricing Development and Marketing Strategy of IKEA 

 

IKEA’s recent launch of the TESAMMANS collection reflects its commitment to affordability and customer satisfaction. This collection encompasses a wide array of products at various price points, catering to diverse customer budgets. Moreover, IKEA emphasises the importance of customer experience in its pricing strategies, aiming to provide value beyond mere product offerings. Here are five insights gleaned from IKEA’s new collection:

 

IKEA pricing strategy

 

1. Balancing Value and Price

 

IKEA’s TESAMMANS collection adopts a pricing strategy that accommodates varying customer budgets. With products ranging from as low as $3 to a maximum of $299, IKEA ensures accessibility without compromising quality. By offering quality products at accessible price points, IKEA demonstrates its commitment to providing value for customers. This strategy not only attracts customers with different spending capacities but also reinforces IKEA’s brand image as a provider of affordable yet high-quality products.

 

2. Understanding Affordability Beyond Price Tags

 

IKEA prioritises value, quality, and customer satisfaction over merely offering the lowest prices. This approach highlights the importance of delivering holistic value to customers, considering factors beyond price tags. For instance, IKEA’s Happy Days Deals initiative offers half-priced meals every Friday to IKEA Family members, enhancing the overall shopping experience. Businesses can learn from IKEA’s strategy and rethink their pricing strategies to focus on providing comprehensive value to their customers, ultimately fostering long-term loyalty and satisfaction.

 

3. Designing for Affordability

 

IKEA’s collaboration with Raw Colour showcases how design excellence can enhance affordability without sacrificing quality. Through innovative design collaborations, IKEA offers stylish yet affordable products that resonate with customers. This approach demonstrates that affordability and design excellence can coexist, providing customers with aesthetically pleasing and budget-friendly options. By investing in design innovation, businesses can create products that stand out in the market while remaining accessible to a wide range of customers.

 

 

4. Leveraging Loyalty Programs

 

IKEA implements discounts for loyalty program members, enhancing customer retention and satisfaction. By rewarding loyal customers with exclusive discounts and perks, IKEA fosters repeat purchases and strengthens customer relationships. This underscores the importance of loyalty programs in driving customer engagement and loyalty. Additionally, loyalty programs provide valuable data insights that businesses can use to tailor their offerings and improve the overall customer experience.

 

5. Innovations in Pricing

 

IKEA’s Happy Days Deals, offering half-priced meals to IKEA Family members, drive customer engagement and loyalty. This innovative pricing strategy not only attracts customers but also enhances the overall shopping experience. By providing additional incentives and perks, businesses can create a more enjoyable and rewarding shopping experience for their customers. This, in turn, can lead to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty, ultimately driving business growth and profitability.

 

 

Implications of a Customer-Centric Affordable Pricing Strategy

 

In the competitive landscape of retail, having a high-performing pricing team is crucial to optimise price, value, and product design strategies. A skilled pricing team can analyse market trends, customer preferences, and competitor pricing to set strategic price points that maximise profitability while maintaining customer satisfaction. For example, IKEA’s success in offering affordable yet high-quality products is attributed to its pricing team’s expertise in balancing value and price.

 

Our findings show that with the right set-up and pricing team in place, incremental earnings gains can begin to occur in less than 12 weeks. After 6 months, the team can capture at least 1.0-3.25% more margin using better price management processes. After 9-12 months, businesses often generate between 7-11% additional margin each year as they identify more complex and previously unrealised opportunities, efficiencies, and risks.

 

Furthermore, embedding commercial capability across the organisation is essential to align pricing strategies with overall business objectives.

 

This involves integrating pricing considerations into various departments, from marketing and sales to product development and operations. By fostering collaboration and communication across departments, businesses can ensure that pricing decisions are aligned with broader business goals and objectives. For instance, a company aiming to position itself as a premium brand may need to adjust its pricing strategy accordingly, ensuring that it reflects the perceived value of its products or services.

 

Our findings show that when a business builds and embeds commercial capability across the business; bolstering its internal pricing skills and capabilities to build a sustainable pricing system, it can generate at least 3-10% additional margin each year while protecting hard-earned revenue and volume. This is at least a 30-60% profit improvement straight to the bottom line.

 

Having a high-performing pricing team enables businesses to make data-driven pricing decisions, respond quickly to market changes, and maintain a competitive edge. Similarly, embedding commercial capability ensures that pricing strategies are aligned with the company’s overall vision and objectives, facilitating coherent and strategic decision-making across departments. By investing in pricing expertise and fostering organisational alignment, businesses can optimise their pricing strategies to drive sustainable growth and profitability in the long term.

 


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Bottom Line

 

IKEA’s affordability strategy underscores the importance of providing value to customers. By offering a wide range of products at prices that are within reach, IKEA ensures that customers feel satisfied with their purchases and are more likely to return.

 

For other businesses looking to replicate IKEA’s success, it’s crucial to prioritise affordability and customer satisfaction. This involves understanding what customers want and need and delivering products that meet those expectations without breaking the bank. In today’s highly competitive retail environment, affordability remains a key factor in building customer loyalty and ensuring long-term business success.

 

By keeping prices reasonable and focusing on providing value, businesses can attract and retain customers in the face of stiff competition. In essence, IKEA’s emphasis on affordability serves as a valuable lesson for businesses aiming to thrive in the retail industry, highlighting the importance of meeting customer needs while remaining competitive in pricing.

 


For a comprehensive view of building a great pricing team to prevent loss in revenue, Download a complimentary whitepaper on A Capability Framework for Pricing Teams.

 

Are you a business in need of help aligning your pricing strategy, people and operations to deliver an immediate impact on profit?

If so, please call (+61) 2 9000 1115.

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