IKEA's brilliant marketing strategy

A couple of weeks ago Bryce got a card in the mail inviting him to come to IKEA for a free kids meal. He wasn't that excited about it, so Annie offered to take it off his hands. Ever since, she has asked me at least twice a day when we could go to IKEA so she could get her free lunch.

I found another free kids meal coupon in my coupon stash and took the little kids today. After all, getting two free kids meals would make it worth my while, right?

So we drove 40 minutes (through heavy traffic). I've been wanting some more of their plastic kids dinnerware ($1.50 for six cups or six plates or six bowls or six place settings of plasticware-- all in all, a fantastic deal) and I figured that if we just bought the dinnerware and ate lunch in the restaurant, I'd be one savvy shopper.

But savvy and frugal I am not. For one thing, IKEA was all out of plates. I bought the cups, bowls, forks, knives and spoons, but one day later this summer (the lady in the yellow shirt said "at least" two months from now) I'll have to do another hour-plus round trip for the plates. I swear, they never have the plates when I go.

Then we got down to the marketplace, where I talked myself into buying all new potholders and oven mitts (we have had the same ones since we got married nine years ago). Since I was buying those, I had to get a tablecloth to match. Annie tossed in some straws. I fell in love with some cereal bowls with perfect rims for drinking milk out of (not that I do it, but Eddie does).

All told, we walked out with $62.34 worth of stuff, and that was before lunch, which included not only the free kids meals, but also lunch for me (chicken curry, which sounded good at the time but is not sitting well in my fickle stomach) and our traditional IKEA dessert, chocolate mousse, which set us back another $10.00.

So for the price of some french fries and swedish meatballs (which Isaac loved, incidentally), those marketing masters at IKEA got me to part with almost $80. And by not having the plates in stock, they've assured themselves a similar trip from me later in the summer. 

Pretty smart, I'd say.

--originally published 5/17/06