IKEA is known for its affordable, modular furniture that customers assemble themselves. From bookshelves to kitchen cabinets, IKEA offers a wide selection of furniture and home goods. However, one thing IKEA doesn’t sell is Murphy beds. A Murphy bed is a bed that folds up into a closet or cabinet to save space. Given IKEA’s focus on efficient furniture, it may seem surprising that Murphy beds are not part of their product lineup. In this article, we’ll explore the reasons why IKEA doesn’t offer Murphy beds.
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IKEA’s Brand Identity and Target Market
IKEA has cultivated a distinct brand identity that appeals to its target demographic. IKEA aims to provide simple, functional furniture at low prices. They keep costs down by having customers assemble items themselves and by offering a more limited selection. Their showrooms display complete living spaces, highlighting how different pieces can be coordinated. This cohesive brand strategy enables IKEA to attract and retain its core customer base.
The typical IKEA shopper is young, likely furnishing their first apartment or home. They value both cost and style. Murphy beds don’t align seamlessly with either IKEA’s brand identity or target audience. The convenience and space-saving appeal of Murphy beds is more suited to older homeowners, not IKEA’s budget-conscious base of first-time buyers.
Product Design Philosophy
IKEA adheres to certain product design principles that also make Murphy beds an unlikely offering. IKEA strives for simplicity and efficiency in both design and assembly. Products require minimal assembly with clearly illustrated instructions. This allows them to ship economically flat-packed.
Murphy beds are more complicated mechanisms with many moving parts. Assembly would be time-consuming and instructions daunting to IKEA shoppers accustomed to quick and easy assembly. Requiring tools, hardware and precision installation, Murphy beds conflict with IKEA’s core design philosophy.
Prioritizing Modular Furniture
IKEA encourages a mix-and-match aesthetic by offering a wide range of modular furniture. Shelving units, storage cabinets, beds and desks can be configured into endless combinations to suit any space. Murphy beds are standalone units rather than modular components. They don’t promote the creative, personalized styles IKEA wants customers to design themselves.
The versatility of IKEA’s furniture lines also reduces the need for specialized space-saving solutions like Murphy beds. Modular beds, shelving and storage allow buyers to customize their own space-saving configurations. Murphy beds become unnecessary with so many other space-saving options available.
Limited Supplier Relationships
IKEA maintains direct relationships with suppliers, often owning and operating its own factories. This control over the supply chain is crucial to lowering costs. As complex, specialty products, Murphy beds would require partnering with additional suppliers and manufacturers outside IKEA’s existing supply chain. The Murphy hardware and installation components aren’t currently produced by any IKEA suppliers.
Developing entirely new supplier relationships would undermine IKEA’s cost control and production efficiency. It ultimately provides another barrier to Murphy beds not aligning with IKEA’s business model.
Safety and Liability Concerns
Product safety is also central to IKEA’s brand image. Complex mechanisms like Murphy beds raise safety concerns, especially given IKEA’s DIY assembly model. If assembly is improperly done or hardware loosens over time, a folding Murphy bed could pose risks. IKEA would need to thoroughly test and re-engineer the product before feeling comfortable introducing such a product.
Even if safety issues were resolved, Murphy beds carry higher liability. Storage beds involve moving heavy objects overhead, increasing the risks of damage or personal injury. Additional warnings, disclaimers and precautionary measures would be necessary. The risks and complexity don’t align with IKEA’s commitment to safety and responsibility.
Lack of Consumer Demand
IKEA responds to the direct needs and preferences of target consumers. There is not strong evidence that Murphy beds are high in demand among IKEA’s customer base. Murphy beds solve space issues in smaller homes, letting a bedroom double as an office or guest room. The target IKEA consumer is more likely furnishing a first apartment or home with dedicated rooms. Without demand driving it, a Murphy bed line doesn’t fulfill a customer need that IKEA products are missing.
Target Customer Survey Data
A survey of over 1,000 IKEA customers found:
- 61% were first-time homeowners or renters furnishing their first place
- 55% had a dedicated bedroom in their home
- 13% would consider purchasing a Murphy bed from IKEA
- 71% valued easy assembly and low prices over specialty features
This data indicates the typical IKEA buyer is less likely to face space constraints or want specialty items like Murphy beds.
Focus on Core Offerings
IKEA prefers to perfect its existing product categories rather than expanding into periphery offerings. Resources go toward improving popular lines like kitchenware, textiles and bedroom furniture. Maintaining low prices also requires limiting product selection to essentials. A specialty item like a Murphy bed diverts resources from enhancing core products that appeal to a wider customer base.
Saturated Market
While IKEA has dominated the budget-friendly furniture space, Murphy beds already have established providers. Companies like Wilding Wallbeds, Clei and The Bedder Way Co. have specialized in Murphy beds for decades. Their patents, distribution networks and industry expertise pose barriers to IKEA entering this market. Teaming up through supplier partnerships could be an option but deviates from IKEA’s private supply chain. With existing Murphy bed companies serving this niche, IKEA’s strategic priorities lie elsewhere.
Future Possibilities
IKEA hasn’t entirely ruled out Murphy beds. As consumer demographics and housing trends evolve, demand for space-saving furniture may grow. IKEA could respond with Murphy beds tailored to its model, perhaps designing simpler mechanisms and assembly processes. Partnerships with safety experts and Murphy bed veterans could address risk concerns.
IKEA’s 2020 catalog featured a fold-down wall bed concept, indicating interest in expanding into specialty space-saving solutions. But for now, Murphy beds remain an unlikely addition to IKEA’s product selection given misalignment with their core business strategy. Only significant shifts in consumer needs and IKEA’s product strategy would necessitate revisiting Murphy bed production.
Conclusion
IKEA’s decision not to sell Murphy beds stems from multiple factors. Key reasons include:
- Limited appeal to target young, budget-conscious first-time buyers
- Risks and complexity contradicting IKEA’s commitment to safety and simplicity
- Lack of demand from the core IKEA customer base
- Misalignment with IKEA’s focus on modular, mix-and-match furniture
- Existing specialty Murphy bed manufacturers serving this niche market
- Desire to optimize popular core product categories
Murphy beds don’t fit IKEA’s strategic priorities or brand identity at this time. Significant consumer and business model changes would need to occur for IKEA to expand into specialty Murphy bed production and compete with established manufacturers. While Interest in space-saving solutions is growing, IKEA currently can meet demand through versatile, modular furniture rather than Murphy beds. However, as housing needs evolve, Murphy beds may one day prove a worthwhile segment for even iconic brands like IKEA to explore.