Consumer

IKEA has always been an obvious choice for previous generations when starting their first family home or apartment. Compared to previous generations, Gen-Z have other habits, and they 'grow up' later than their parents did. Because of this, IKEA needs to approach the challenge of offering value in new ways, providing Gen-Z with what they need also before establishing their own homes.

Reaching the Gen Z as consumers

To better understand their younger – and future - customers and to be able to design services that are relevant to them, we worked with IKEA in a corporate startup format, to gather insight from the Gen Zers. By gathering 

, and working in a co-creative manner, IKEA Norway is now working to reinvent themselves.

User insights

Together with IKEA Global, using Norway as a pilot market, we explored the concept of BetterColiving. In this 

, IKEA identifies and creates services and digital products to help people improve the experience of living with others. The first product, was an app called SVEN. The app has a unique collection of features designed to help you with communication, tasks, finances, and house rules.

Business Model Concept 

Better CoLiving – a concept to facilitate collective living

 Together, IKEA and EGGS are created an ecosystem of services and products to support young people living together. The app SVEN, which facilitates life in a collective household, was  part of it. 

An essential part of the consumer market adapting to more sustainable operations is the shift from linear to circular value streams, and going from physical to digital products and services (

) is part of the solution. A concept like the BetterColiving project does precisely this and can facilitate and improve the experience of living in a way that has less environmental impact. The result is innovation for smart and sustainable solutions that are relevant to Gen Zers but also have the potential to grow into services and products that are relevant to IKEA's customers in general.

Servitisation

Living comes in many forms, and health and well-being are essential to it. IKEA has the potential to be an enabler of healthy and sustainable living for people.

Better CoLiving – reinventing IKEA for Gen Z