This explains IKEA.

“Do you ever get lost or confused in shopping centers? Well, they’re designed to confuse and disorient. They don’t want you to know what’s round the corner but constantly to surprise you. Straight lines allow you to find what you’re looking for too easily. Instead, you’re forced to walk past as many displays as possible to increase the chances of an extra purchase. This is based on the Gruen Transfer, named after Victor Gruen who opened the first enclosed shopping mall in the US in 1956. It is the moment when a shopper enters a trance-like daze and is then much more likely to make an unplanned purchase. Shopping centers are designed to bring on the Gruen Transfer as quickly as possible.”
- Neal Lawson, in All Consuming

One Response to “This explains IKEA.”

1. Todd Says:
   May 5th, 2011 at 9:22 pm

   Hmmm . . . never been to an Ikea, but I take it it’s a very non-linear experience.

   Since men hunt, we zero in on our prey and progress to the kill. I am always (generally) pretty focused and targeted when I go to the grocery store or anywhere else (except when I’m exploring , that is!).

   How unsettling it is to know the degree to which the merchants have us figured out!

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