IKEA Cyber-Monday 2010 
IKEA’s Black Friday sale this year (See also: IKEA Black Friday 2010) was, well…non-existent. There were no sales flyers for Black Friday, no last-minute specials announced, no email to customers on Thanksgiving night announcing a special sale for privileged customers only. Black Friday at IKEA was Black in 2010 (see more about this below). What’s in store for Cyber Monday? Well, at least one thing, but don’t get too excited …
Cyber Monday at IKEA 2010
IKEA’s offer for Cyber Monday is apparently limited to a $49 shipping offer from IKEA Home Shopping.
On Cyber Monday, 11/29/2010, make a purchase of $500 or more from IKEA Home Shopping on IKEA.com and have your merchandise delivered for just $49*!
*Minimum purchase $500. Offer only valid on in stock merchandise, sorry no rain checks. Valid for online orders only. Exclusions: Orders must be delivered within the continental United States (excluding areas that need a special delivery such as ferry deliveries). Offer valid on 11/29 from 12am ET through 11:59pm ET. Offer not valid on previous purchases.
Woo-hoo. Seriously? Most retailers are offering FREE Shipping for purchases, in addition to steep discounts and loss-leaders. Curiouser and curiouser…
IKEA Customers React Poorly
Not that Facebook is the height of all decorum, but it’s obvious that IKEA customers are not impressed nor inclined to home shop at IKEA on Cyber Monday given a $49 shipping deal. IKEA ‘Liker’ Traci Downing had this to say,
deal? What deal? You still pay for shipping. Now what about the people that go to the store? Do they get deals too? How about a “sale”? That would get me to go and buy.
Perhaps if they knew that shipping is usually several hundred dollars? (See Why IKEA Home Shopping Will Never Pay).
IKEA Lack of Black Friday
The IKEA representative that I talked with had only this to say about IKEA’s definitive lack of Black Friday sales:
Actually, I think we’re only doing free breakfast all weekend…”
which is a departure from years’ past in which IKEA had Seize the Days sales, free breakfast specials and free kids’ meals. At the moment, I don’t have any real insight into why IKEA did not participate in Black Friday sales and promotions in 2010, but I have an idea…
IKEA Business Model to Blame?
Given the IKEA business model which is driven partly by customers planning and spending entire days shopping, eating and parting with their money in IKEA, I suspect it has to do with the lesser profit margins when competing with every other known retailer on what has become the biggest shopping day in the United States. Besides, who goes out shopping for furniture on Black Friday?
If you have any insight into why IKEA did not embrace the good old American tradition of shopping til you drop the day after Thanksgiving, I’d love to hear it! Please make it make sense.
I have no idea why Ikea would choose not to have a Black Friday (or even Thanksgiving weekend) sale. I guess maybe most people don’t do furniture shopping over Thanksgiving – but I definitely would! A deal is a deal and I’m not really in to buying the crazy low-priced items that most retailers have for sale (the exception this year was I bought a GPS system from Target – but I went around 10am so I didn’t wake up ridiculously early).
I guess the point I’m trying to make is though most people don’t go furniture shopping on Black Friday, what better way to get people to come in than deals? Otherwise, you might as well not even be open because no one is going to go furniture shopping (esp not with the crazy sales at all the other stores).
The free breakfast is a nice touch, but unless I’m already planning on going to the neighborhood, it’s not worth the drive. I only go to Ikea when there is a sale anyway. Also, I need a shower curtain and I saw on Ikea’s website that they have some fairly cheap ones. But again, I’m not going to drive far just to get a $2 shower curtain. If I go for something else, then sure, I’ll pick it up. Otherwise, I’ll just check Kohl’s, Target, Kmart, Walmart, the dollar store, etc – anywhere that I might be at instead.
CYBER MONDAY>>> @IKEA Houston ONLY!!
FREE Houston delivery only for ONLINE orders through IKEA Houston Online Shopping! Fast and Free Delivery with online $500 Purchase!**This is limited to zone 1 delivery areas (generally within 10 miles of the store).**
More deals can be found at http://www.IKEAHouston.com after 11:59pm tonight!
Forgot to mention, in Houston we are hosting Cyber Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and FRIDAY!
FREE Houston delivery only for ONLINE orders through IKEA Houston Online Shopping all WEEK!
Fast and Free Delivery with online $500 Purchase!**This is limited to zone 1 delivery areas (generally within 10 miles of the store).**
wow…. that’s pretty bad…. almost like they know people will shop there so why bother????? they did a better food deal over columbus day (or whatever holiday it was… maybe labor day?) when they gave you your whole meal off as a “coupon”…. much better than a measly .99 free breakfast and .99 free coffee that they normally do anyways in the a.m.!
Wow, this is pretty bad. I was hoping to have some sort of sale on furniture. I need a few things, but I guess I will wait. It would have gotten me out to shop for the pieces now instead of waiting.